Southern Heart Soaps Lotions and Potions

Adventures in Craft Fairs... the Motel

2010-11-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

We recently were vendors at a large, rather high-end craft fair at a small indoor mall... we were late entries and had yet to receive our vendor packet in the mail, which was to include hotel rates (among other information) giving "crafter rates" in the area. The fair promoter had promised to send it to us as quickly as possible, but Thursday arrived and the mailman still had not left a vendor packet in our mailbox... we were heading to the event on Friday afternoon...so...

We got on the phone to the promoter to see if she could give us some recommendations on accommodations, which she was nice enough to provide. We called the place she said would give us good rates and made reservations... saying to ourselves, and to each other that it didn't much matter what kind of room it was, we were only going to be there to sleep and shower... OK... maybe we should have been a little more specific... Oh it was clean enough and it had a bed... and a shower.

We arrived around 9:30 p.m., tired and ready to relax for a little while and to get a good night's sleep before our early Saturday morning start at the mall...

The motel (it was NOT a hotel!) was a little old and a little rundown and a little outdated.

DH went on into the office to check in... as he entered the office, the older lady working in the office rose from her La-Z-Boy recliner where she had been watching television, she had no teeth in her mouth, apparently they were in a glass nearby... DH checked in, then asked if we could get a wake-up call the next morning since we had to be at the show by 7 a.m. to begin setting up.

"Sure," gummed the clerk, "what time you want to get up?"

"5:30 a.m." said DH.

Blinking, the clerk responded, "Lord, Honey, we don't even come in till 7!"

Then she handed him an alarm clock!

We have laughed about this episode for a week now and probably will for years! It was just TOO funny!

We made our way to our room... it was large... with a walk-in closet...

And a king-size bed...with RED sheets... made from a brick I think! That pinkish-tan colored sink and toilet in the bathroom from the 50s, or maybe the 40s (the tub, I must say, was white, though obviously a 60s model at least)

Well, the room is BIG anyway... and pretty clean... note the turquoise paint!

I think I had this recliner in the early 70s... and that good ol' 70s wood paneling!

And you typical ocean scene from the dated motel days... this "inn" was in the mountains! There were RED sheets on the king-sized bed!

Remember the pinkish-tan fixtures... from the 50s? 60s? 40s? and the old 9-in "asbestos" tiles in the bathroom... Oh dear!

Well, we did have cable!

Fortunately we didn't spend much time here in our "home away from home!"

I'm thinking maybe next time we'll stay at the Holiday Inn!

Festivalizing

2010-11-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, I realized I haven't written a word in almost a month here... it's been a little busy around the soap kitchen this fall!

Our weekday afternoons and evenings have been filled with soapmaking and creating new, improved ideas for our festival booth... weekends have been dedicated to festivals.

After the Latta Plantation the first Saturday in October, we moved on to HILLarity Festival on the Hill in Chester, SC... It was more of a "street festival" than we had anticipated so our sales were not as great as we had hoped, but we met some great folks, made some great contacts, and learned some things. One thing we learned was if we are going to go to a variety of types of festivals we need to take products that will appeal to the various customers.

HILLarity Festival on the Hill, Chester, SC

The following week, October 23, we headed to the Upstate of SC, to Honea Path's Sugarfoot Festival... knowing it was most likely a street type festival, we had added some kid-friendly items and some "impulse" items to our list... I had made lots of food shaped earrings from polymer clay (a BIG hit with little girls and teens!) and my DH had come up with a marshmallow shooter that went over nicely with boys of all ages... we sold out of those! Of course, we are dedicated to soap and we did very well with that too! Honea Path is a great little "small town" place. The festival was fantastic, we will definitely go back next year! Felt like you were in the middle of Mayberry there... they started out the events of the day long festival with a singing of the National Anthem... hats were off all over town and everyone was quiet and respectful... afterwards a local pastor said a prayer, the mayor welcomed everyone and the fun began in earnest... What a great day in a great little town!

My DH spent the day kicked back in his chair, holding a marshmallow war with the fellow vendor across the street... they both shot marshmallows at many of the children as they passed by... I think it was their way of recapturing their own youth even though they both claimed it was a sales pitch to move those marshmallow shooters... Whatever.

An amusing tidbit from the day... a lady called over to my DH... "Hello, Bill!" then she walked closer and realized he wasn't Bill... "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody I know, I was gonna ask you a question." says she... "Well, go ahead and ask me, let's see if I know what Bill knows" says DH... "Where are they selling those tall, tropical drinks?" she asks... DH points to a vendor booth nearby... the lady thanks him and starts to walk away... DH says, "Tell Bill I said Hello." Without missing a beat, the lady replies, "I sure will... that Bill's a nice fella."

Polymer Clay "Food" Earrings

Setting up shop for the day at Honea Path's Sugarfoot Festival

First weekend in November we're off to Western NC for the Foothills Highland Games in Hendersonville... super excited about it! And then in a couple weeks, Christmas Festival in Boone, NC. Busy fall season but we love it!

Latta Plantation Folklife Festival

2010-10-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

We got our new display set up at the Latta Plantation Folklife Festival on October 9... smooth setup and ready for customers in record time! It was a beautiful fall day in Huntersville, NC... the morning was cool and the afternoon got a little warm. People began trickling in to the lovely old plantation setting as soon as the gates opened at 10 a.m. and the stream of folks continued till closing at 4...

Our cupcake soaps were a big hit... people admired them, amazed that they were soap! The scent from our all natural soap wafted throughout the grounds, inviting and drawing in folks to have a sniff. Lip balms seemed to be the most popular item, especially with the children. The all-nighter spent wrapping and packaging the soaps was worth it once we were there and set up... our booth looked great! We look forward to continuing the fall craft festival season, hoping to get one or two in this month before our "big event" at the Foothills Highland Games the first weekend in November.

Tea Farm Cottage

2010-10-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

We thought we had learned our lesson, but apparently not!

We decided this past spring to NOT participate in any more craft fairs in super small venues... no more church fairs, school fairs, or businesses simply promoting themselves by hosting small fairs... well, we did it again! Tea Farm Cottage, a lovely arts, crafts, and antique shop in Summerville, SC, has hosted a "First Saturday Arts and Crafts Fair" for about 3 or 4 months this summer and fall in the front yard of their charming establishment. After speaking at length via email to the cottage owner, Deborah, we decided to participate in the October fair... she had assured us of plenty of shoppers, lookers, and a variety of other festival participants who were returning every month successfully.

Apparently one of the main crowd drawing vendors, a Jamaican jerk chicken cooker, experienced car trouble the morning of the event and canceled at the last minute... at least that's the story we heard... he drew in the crowds with the aroma and flavor of his Caribbean flavors and they shopped... at least they had in August, and again in September... but his cancellation in October appeared to put a damper on everyone's buying spirits.

We enjoyed our day at Tea Farm Cottage, met some really nice people, traded business cards and email addresses, we even met and picked the brain (as he picked ours) of another soaper, but we didn't make a great deal in sales... but I have to say, neither did anybody else there. The other soaper planned to complain and hoped to be refunded, at least in part, of the festival rental fee... we didn't even try, just chalked it up to experience once again.

We had several sniffers stop by our tent, drawn in by the scent of our soap and by the novelty of our cupcake shaped soaps... we got many many comments about how real they looked, how great they smelled, how interesting, how novel... We got a lot of smellers, but not too many buyers.

We did sell some soap to the pottery vendor, Janet, who fell in love with our products... she makes beautiful pottery and clay sculptures and is a really cool lady, as is her husband. I, in turn, fell in love with her work and after she had purchased the soap from us, I remarked that I was just about to see if she would trade a few bars of soap for a lovely blue, round soap dish she had designed and made (I make round soap and wanted that dish badly)... she tried a sample of our lotion... then came back and said, "I tell you what, I'll give you that soap dish you want for a bottle of that great lotion." Of course I readily agreed.

We came away richer even though we didn't make a lot of money, we DO, however, have a beautiful clay soap dish and a few new friends.

A Few Festival Dates Set!

2010-09-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

We've chosen a few (and a few have chosen and approved us!) festivals for the fall season and are gearing up to sell soap ... so far...

Tea Farm Cottage in Summerville, SC on Saturday, October 2. The event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is a monthly arts and crafts show sponsored by the farm... looking forward to working with Deborah! http://www.journalscene.com/business/Tea-Farm-Cottage--Terri-s-Sweet-Shop-open-in-Summerville

Latta Plantation in Huntersville, NC on Saturday, October 8... the 29th Annual Folklife Festival and Craft Show. I know I've bugged Nicole to death with my questions, but she's been an absolute angel and a wealth of information to me! http://www.lattaplantation.org/

Tenth Annual Foothills Highland Games in Hendersonville, NC on November 6... very excited about this event since I'm wanting to develop a Scottish line of soaps and get involved in as many Highland Games as I can. Just received confirmation from Sue today that we have been accepted as vendors at this event! Yayness! http://www.scotsfoothillshg.org/

Looking forward to selling soap at these venues and more to come!

Scottish Shortbread Soap

2010-09-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

The first in what hopefully will be an entire line of Scottish/Celtic soap products... we made Scottish Shortbread Soap this weekend!

Started with my basic soap recipe... palm oil, coconut oil, and olive oil and headed to soapcalc.net to run some numbers... decided to add real butter (milk fat) to the recipe as it is a major ingredient in actual shortbread... ran the percentages through the calculator and found that milk fat adds to the conditioning quality of the finished soap so this would work!

Gathered my ingredients and started to work, making only a 20 ounce batch to start... weighed my lye, mixed it in with my water and stirred... set aside to cool down to about 100 degrees while weighing out my oils and warming them to about 100 degrees.

When everything was the right temperatures, mixed them together and stirred with my stick blender till I reached a light trace... then added vanilla absolute and a touch of cinnamon essential oil for a bit of warmth to the final scent.

Blended some more till I got a medium trace, then poured it into a round PVC pipe mold... After several hours the vanilla and cinnamon have blended nicely into a warm fresh baked smell! I think this one is gonna be a winner!

Testing new products

2010-09-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

In the last couple weeks I've made a few new products and in case anybody wonders how they are tested, here's how... First of all, I make sure all my ingredients and my mixtures and combinations are safe, Ph balanced and as harmless as I know how to make them... I am experienced enough in soap and lotion making to know how to do that.

Secondly... my family and friends are willing subjects for testing new things I choose to mix up... it's as simple as that!

I recently made an herbal bath tea, gave a canister of it, with its little organza "tea bag" to my daughter, who unhesitatingly made use of it within just a couple hours... she came out of the bathroom after her delightfully scented, skin nurturing soak in the tub, with the Oooohs and Ahhhs I wanted to hear. She loved the stuff, enjoyed the experience.

I gave my granddaughter and my young niece (both toddlers, ages 2 and 4) some fizzy bath bombs during a recent family vacation... when my granddaughter watched the fizzing action in her bath water with her sweet little mouth in a perfect "O" of delight and a sharp, excited intake of her breath, I knew I had succeeded! And my niece, sweet little thing that she is, asked "Can we have another one?" We fizzed up the tub pretty well that day, much to my delight... and theirs.

My concoction of Thieves' Oil was met by family members with "I can't wait to try it in the vaporizer," "Oh my goodness, I have a cold, I'll give it a try now," "Will it help my sinuses?" "Mmmm it smells wonderful" and "It is so soothing." When my granddaughter fell, causing a bit of a goose egg and a bruise to her forehead, a drop of Thieves' Oil soothed her feelings, helped the swelling go down, and the bruising heal faster. It's good stuff!

The all natural shampoo I made was a little less well-received, but not by much. My daughter used it and loved the smell, the lather, the way it made her hair feel... she did say it was a little thin and watery... I learned something! Next batch will be diluted less... simple as that. I was and am grateful for the honest feedback.

On to new adventures in soaping!

Liquid Soap

2010-09-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made all natural liquid soap and it looks great! Haven't "tested" it yet, thought it best to allow it to "rest" for a week or so just to make sure everything was saponified well.

First thing I did was to mix my potassium hydroxide into my water... it makes a hissing, popping sort of sound that lye generally doesn't, but heats up and cools down in pretty much the same manner.

Then I measured out my oils (coconut oil, sunflower oil, and castor oil) and warmed them up to about 150 degrees. This was a little different from cold process soap, those I generally only warm to about 100 degrees and I allow my lye to cool to about the same temperature. Liquid soap is mixed at a higher temperature, so I made sure to turn on the exhaust fan and to wear rubber gloves just to be safe. Didn't want any risk of chemical burns!

I mixed my potassium hydroxide solution with my oils and stirred with my stick blender till the mixture reached a heavy trace... looked like really thick pudding... then put the mixture on the stove in a double boiler and began to cook, stirring about every 15 minutes or so... I let it cook about 4 hours till I got a really thick, transparent gel.

Scraped the gel into a bucket and added boiled water at a ratio of 2 to 1... I might go a little less next time as the end result is a bit thinner than I wanted. I let the gel/water sit overnight, stirring every hour or two, till the gel dissolved in the water...

Put the mixture back into the soap pot and heated it back up to a simmer, added rosemary essential oil (my favorite, plus it's wonderful for hair, and I plan to use this for shampoo), stirred well then poured the mixture into two half gallon glass jars to wait... plan to bottle the liquid soap in 8 ounce plastic bottles, label and Tah Dah... liquid soap!

Super excited!

Thinking Outside the Box... the Soap Box that is

2010-08-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have made the decision, just today, to begin some experimenting in the cold process soap realm...

I've made soap for years, I have the process down pat, I can make the 10 or 12 varieties listed on my website for sale, with my eyes closed.

The creator in me wants to reach out, try unusual things in soap...

I think I will do a series of batches using different liquids to replace water... I've used carrot juice, ground up cucumbers, apple juice, red wine, beer, milk... and now I'm looking for something else...
Hmmm... tomato paste (I hear it's good for acne prone skin), grape juice (wonder what color it would make the finished soap?), coconut milk (would it add a smell, doubtful), ground carrots, beets, lettuce (lettuce? why not?), cabbage, cola, root beer, lemon juice... the possibilities are endless!

And additives? I've added several ground herbs... use cinnamon quite often, have added, of course, oatmeal, coffee grounds, pumice, lavender flowers, honey, clay... what else could we add? Rosemary? Dill? Citrus peel? I've heard cornmeal is nice but have never done it... I think I will! Peanut butter? Dried fruit? The excitement is building!!!

Yes, I think a weekly "experiment" is in order... and I will impart my processes and findings here! An adventure in soapmaking is about to begin!

My newest thing... bath teas!

2010-08-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

Bath tea! What an exotic concept... but really pretty simple. Sounds luxurious and it is. Here's what I did...

Mixed up the ingredients... Magnesium sulfate... a fancy name for good ol' Epsom Salts
Sodium Bicarbonate... ordinary baking soda
Powdered Milk
Dried Lavender Flowers
Oatmeal
And voila... Lavender Oatmeal Milk Bath Tea!!!

OK... but to package this delightful concoction, believe me the smell is heavenly!

Found a small tin at Michael's and some small organza bags...

I filled the tin almost to the top with the loose tea, scooped one lavender colored organza bag full of the mixture and placed it on top of the loose ingredients... closed up the lid, added a tag with ingredients and directions, tied with silver elastic string and tied a tiny wooden scoop to the side as well... super cute!

To use the tea, you hang the organza bag filled with the "tea" to the faucet while the water is running to fill the tub, making sure the water runs through the tea bag as the tub fills, then plop the bag into the tub as you soak.

Afterwards, empty the "tea bag" and let it dry, and, using the wooden scoop attached, refill for your next luxurious, aromatic soak...

Ahhhh... relaxation at its finest!

Thieves Oil

2010-08-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

Came across this extremely interesting article about Thieves Oil from "No Ordinary Homestead" and will definitely give it a try... always on the lookout for herbal or natural remedies for things rather than depending on chemicals or modern medicines whenever possible...

When I started looking around for information about making your own hand sanitizer, I came across something called thieves oil. Legend has it, that thieves in the 15th century used this essential oil concoction to protect themselves against the plague. It was said to be so effective that they were able to rob the gravely ill and the deceased without becoming infected themselves.

Whether or not that’s true, the ingredients in this mixture are antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral. That means it should keep just about any flu, cold or virus at bay. And at the moment, a lot of people who sell thieves’ oil are claiming it will even protect you from swine flu.

All you need to do is apply a drop of oil on your chest before going to bed and gently massage it in. Carry a small vial of it with you wherever you go and apply it the same way during the day. Because this recipe uses a jojoba oil base, it will not leave the skin feeling greasy. Jojoba oil also has an indefinite shelf life whereas most other carrier oils (like sweet almond or grapeseed) only last around 6-12 months.

To clear the air in your home, you only need to boil a pot of water on the stove and add two or three drops of thieves oil to the simmering water. The anti-microbial and anti-bacterial aromatherapy properties will sanitize the air.

The following recipe is from an article on ehow. There are many recipe variations out there, but all of them involve the same 5 essential oils and in theory they should all be effective.

There are also a lot of other websites with suggestions of ways to use thieves oil’, from using a few drops in your laundry to helping you to stop smoking. But be very cautious about anything that suggests putting thieves’ oil in your mouth or otherwise ingesting the ingredients. Cinnamon essential oil, for example, should never be ingested undiluted because it is quite toxic. This combination is also not recommended for small children or infants. Try this homemade natural spray disinfectant instead.

Thieves oil is also said to be very effective in combating black mold in the home...

Thieves Oil Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup jojoba oil (or other carrier oil if preferred)
1 tablespoon clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum a.k.a. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata)
1 tablespoon lemon oil (Citrus limon)
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum verum a.k.a Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
2 teaspoons rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
2 teaspoons eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus radiata)

For a smaller amount of oil, try this scaled back version. It still makes about 60ml of thieves oil but you can scale it down further as needed. For reference, there are about 19 drops of oil per teaspoon.

1/4 cup (60 ml) jojoba or other carrier oil
3,75 ml (72 drops) clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum a.k.a. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata)
3,75 ml (72 drops) lemon oil (Citrus limon)
3 ml (58 drops) cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum verum a.k.a Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
2.5 ml (48 drops) rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
2.5 ml (48 drops) eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus radiata)

Directions

Measure out jojoba oil into a clean glass container. Add essential oils. Stir or shake the oil well to blend all the essential oils with the carrier oil.
Pour it into glass bottles for personal use. Store out of direct sunlight in dark glass bottles to retain oil strength.

... taken from www.noordinaryhomestead.com "Thanks for the information Tiffany!"

Boxes

2010-08-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

We've been searching for just the right box to package our 3 inch round soaps in... we found a company that makes and sells boxes with fold down end flaps on either end and puffy in the middle that we love... can't seem to get them to respond to our correspondence about printing them with our logo and stuff so haven't ordered yet.

Started playing around and searching for box templates last night, hoping to find something usable for packaging that could possibly be printed on card stock and make 'em ourselves... maybe too much work, and too tedious to individually cut each box out, score, fold... could take way too much time, but it's a thought.
http://www.paperandmore.com/quick-tips/article/puffy-box-template.html

Still a work in progress...

Root Beer and Anise

2010-08-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

If I can get over my deflation of whipped soap episode and regain my confidence I want to try something as an experiment (which may be my problem, can't leave well enough alone!)

I want to make cupcake soap using root beer and anise essential oil for the cake part (that part is not whipped so surely I can do it!) Then make vanilla whipped "soap frosting" for the top and call it Root Beer Float Cupcake Soaps! I'm loving the idea!

I'm out of lye, so gotta get to the lye store!

Labels, Packaging, Boxes

2010-08-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

The fall festival season is upon us...

The soap is made and curing...

The task before us now... our display... it needs work!
And our packaging leaves a LOT to be desired! We make round soaps, not easy to wrap. Coffee filters work nicely, especially the brown ones, with a sticker label covering the folded part, looks neat and tidy and attractive... but to get the neatness, it's a little labor intensive and takes time. We found some nice boxes with fold flaps on either end that I think will do nicely, slap a label on the box and you're done... gotta get those ordered!

And I want to get a few cupcake stands for my cupcake soaps, I think that will add visually to our display...
I gotta order supplies... I'm out of sodium hydroxide and want to get some vanilla absolute to try a vanilla soap "frosting" for my cupcakes...
Time to get busy!!!! Festivals here we come!

Deflation

2010-08-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, following instructions on Nizzy's website, I made adorable cupcake soaps using whipped soap and piping "soap frosting" on top... too cute!

I guess I thought I was "Invincible Soaper!" Not!

A few days ago I made a new batch of cupcake soaps... honey oatmeal... they're beauties, but they're still not "frosted."

We received a few bottles of red wine for our wedding... one of which we don't care for so I've been using it in cooking and stuff... so I got the grand idea of making whipped soap frosting with it... didn't work this time...

I've read that red wine soap is good stuff... good for the skin so... I boiled a bit of it to removed the alcohol... dissolved my lye in half the amount of water I planned to use and was gonna use the wine for the remainder of my liquid...

OK... whipped up my oils... nice! That part was nice and fluffy and looking like it ought to... I added the wine to the chilled lye/water mixture... seemed to be OK... browned a little bit... I was hoping for a purplish or pinkish color to the final soap...

Added the lye/water/wine mixture to the oils and started whipping... it deflated, turned a pinky-gray-tan color (not attractive!) ... couldn't get it to fluff back up... it was more like pudding... would NOT hold shape enough to pipe onto the "cupcakes." My feelings deflated right along with my soap!

So... I added some lavender essential oil and spooned the pudding-like tan/gray/pink mixture into my silicon heart molds... the color has lightened up a bit so it's not so ugly... it's not great but not ugly and it's hardening into soap nicely... not sure what I'll do with it, just use it up I s'pose...

It's hard on a soapmaker's ego when this happens even though it does happen from time to time... for whatever reason... this time I'm wondering if the alcohol had something to do with the deflation... maybe I didn't get it all boiled out... maybe when I added the wine to the lye/water mix... it heated up some more... that could account for it... whipped soap needs chilled or at least room temperature lye mixture... maybe the high sugar content in wine did it... I don't know... but I still don't have frosting on my cupcakes!

Ah well... clean up the mess and try again... that's all that can be done!

Self-Sufficiency

2010-08-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have a fascination... maybe even an obsession with "old-timey" things and ways of doing things. My dream is to learn how to "do everything!" be self-sufficient, live off the land... that kind of thing. I would dearly LOVE to live on the side of a mountain in a log cabin and grow my own vegetables, herbs, medicines... have chickens, maybe a hog and a cow or a goat (although in reality the thought of milking a cow or a goat kinda makes me nervous, I've never done it!)... make or grow most everything I would need to live...

In reality... I live in an apartment... in town... I don't even have a yard... I drive to work listening to satellite radio and talking on the phone using my blue tooth... I spend HOURS on the internet every day... I have cable TV... on a big screen television... I enjoy playing wii... I keep my cell phone with me 24/7

Hey, I enjoy technology and all the luxuries it gives, I admit it! I like comfort... and easy access... and instant gratification...

But I think I could be content without it IF I had to... if I had to!

Knowing my fascination... my precious husband bought me a book yesterday... Country Wisdom and Know-How... Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land...

Oh My Gosh! I absolutely LOVE it! Everything from making bread to digging a root cellar! Step by step instructions, detailed drawings... everything you need to "live off the land!"

I began making soap years ago because of my fascination with old-timey ways... I use a lot of home remedies because I love the idea of figuring it out myself and not running to the doctor every time I sneeze. This new gift could open up a new project or two!

For one, I've been hearing about big seed companies like Monsanto, who are trying to take over farms and even water sources... and they are beginning to control our food sources and are well on their way to taking control of water sources as well... they produce hybrid seeds... which are sterile and don't reproduce, so you gotta go back every spring and buy more to plant... you get fatter corn kernels and bigger tomatoes, I guess... but is it worth it for us to lose control of basic survival needs? So now, I'm looking into heirloom seeds... seeds that aren't hybridized, seeds that reproduce... seeds that grow old-timey vegetables and herbs and that "go to seed" in the fall allowing me to save seeds to plant the following spring! I like that idea!

If and when technology fails... I have my book and I'm READY!

But first... I need a yard!

August... summer's winding down

2010-08-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

The days are beginning to shorten... it's getting dark ever so slightly earlier... school starts back in just days... it's August and autumn is peeking in from just around the corner...

Temperatures are still in the 90s during the day and it still doesn't cool off much at night... but there's a feeling in the air... can't quite put my finger on it... a slight lessening of the usual summer humidity? but only slight... it's still hot and muggy here in the South... but there's something... that sweet melancholy air that comes with the fall season.

I find myself without much incentive in this end-of-summer air... my mind tends to move slowly and I go from air conditioned house, to air conditioned car, to air conditioned office and back again with the shortest of possible blasts from the steamy-hot air outside. I wilt terribly in the summer heat these days... wonder how we did it as kids? We played outside from daybreak till dusk most days and never wilted like I do now, never gave it a thought unless Daddy was making us do yard work or weed the garden... air conditioning has spoiled me I think! Even the shade is stifling.

But autumn is just around the corner... I can feel it in the air... somehow...

In anticipation of crisper days and lower humidity levels, I anticipate my ambition will return... we are planning to try selling our soaps at a few autumn festivals this year... I am excited about the "line-up" but anxious just the same... we know our product is good, our soap is wonderful... but still I worry that somehow we're not marketing things properly or people just don't understand the effort and care and research we put into our bath products. How do we tell them that we choose not to add artificial fragrances or colorants for good reason, it's better for our skin! How do we make them understand? Is the "public" so enamored of bright colors and sweet scents that they don't care? Our soap smells wonderful, scented with essential oils chosen for their natural-ness and their benefits to the skin, and their beautiful, true smell. Our soap is generally creamy white, or creamy tan or brown or honey colored or sometimes pale yellow... but never bright intense colors and never blue or purple or hot pink! How can we make them understand?

August... back to school for students... and back to soaping for us... as autumn peers quietly through the muggy heat...

Artisan Bread

2010-08-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Kitty gave us a loaf of cranberry nut artisan bread for a wedding gift... and a book called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." It's great!

You mix up the batter in batches that will make 3-5 loaves and put it in a bowl in the fridge and use it over a period of days or even weeks. Some of the breads take 40 minutes to rise, some an hour or more once you take them out of the refrigerator... but except for waiting on them to rise or bake, you seriously only put about 5 minutes of work at a time in these breads... LOVE it! No kneading, no punching down and reshaping. You just mix everything together once... pop in the fridge... take out what you need, sprinkle a little flour and shape into a loaf... let rise and pop it in the oven... we've had crusty white bread, soft white bread, buttermilk bread and cinnamon raisin bread so far... there are dozens of recipes. I think today since blueberries are in season, I want to make the blueberry/lemon curd coffee cake bread... wouldn't that be great with morning coffee!

Baking bread and making soap!

Check 'em out
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

Gearing Up for Festival Season

2010-08-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

OK, so we've served as vendors for a couple small, local organizations, we've gotten our feet wet, so to speak and now we think we just might be ready to dive in... Festivals! selling soap at festivals within driving distance... that covers all of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and maybe a little into Tennessee and Virginia.

We've sent in our membership to Festivals Online and have received our first emailed listing of all the festivals in the country with a September 1 entry deadline... there are THOUSANDS!

We have narrowed the list down to include only the five states we feel are within our driving area... there are HUNDREDS! They list how many attendees they had the year before, how much for vendor fees, what you need to bring, how many total vendors they plan to have, and much more... BUT...

How to decide where to go, what to attend, where does soap sell well? Real, all-natural, handmade soap... no fru-fru stuff... no bright colored, sweetly artificial smelling... but natural soap, scented only with essential oils and colored with things like cinnamon and coffee and cucumbers... where will our soap sell well?

Shall we go to the Bedford, VA Centerfest? My sister lives near there, we could stay with her. There were something like 25,000 attendees last year... or...

Or how 'bout the Malcolm Blue Farm in Aberdeen, NC? It's smaller than the Bedford Festival but is an old Scottish homestead and will have old-time arts and crafts and demonstrations. Sounds fun... or

Maybe the Carolina Balloon Fest in Statesville, NC? or...

Moonshiners Reunion in Campobello, SC? or...

or the Honeybee Festival in Kernersville, NC?

That's just a tiny sampling of the Festivals out there for us to choose from... the decision is a little daunting but exciting just the same... Autumn Festival Season... Here We Come!

www.southernheartsoaps.com

The Honeymoon is Over...

2010-07-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

Let the marriage begin!

Our wedding at Grandfather Mountain's Highland Games went beautifully... it was perfection... magical! The greatest wedding a girl could ask for.

A few days honeymooning in the cool NC mountains were refreshing and relaxing. A perfect time!

We've been back home now for a little over two weeks and it's still hard to come down from the mountains... to get my mind wrapped around reality... to get "back to business." I've been back at my day job, but everything is more or less laid out for me there, I just have to "fill in the blanks" and move forward day to day.

Getting my head wrapped around soapmaking and festivals and craft fairs and farmer's markets is another story... my motivation has slowed down considerably... I need motivation!

I bought two dozen silicon cupcake molds yesterday at Michaels and hope they will jump start me into making more cupcake soaps... I do love to make those! And the whipped soap frosting is fun to make... this time I think I want to "frost" my cupcakes in a dark chocolate scented with??? peppermint? orange? not sure yet...

I guess what I need to do is firm up a festival date so I have a deadline... I'm in the newspaper business... I work best with a deadline!

C'mon motivation... kick in!!!!!

Weddings

2010-06-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed at how long it has been since I "soap-blogged"... I'm getting married in 13 days and soap has definitely had to be pushed to the back burner the past few weeks.

Ideas keep churning even when wedding takes the forefront of my mind... we are getting married at Grandfather Mountain's Highland Games... we made a short trip a few weeks ago to the Greenville Scottish Games... we are enjoying learning all the things we can about Scotland and Scottish history and the history of Hugh's clan... Lindsay...

Which on the back burner of my mind simmers the idea of Scottish soap... an entire line! Soaps that evoke the feelings and scents of Scotland... we could do this! and then we could go to all the Highland Games within driving distance as vendors, selling our Scottish Soaps!

What things make you think of Scotland? Whiskey... Heather... Thistle... Shortbread... William Wallace... Robert Burns... Bog Myrtle (just learned about that one... very cool!)... Tartans, Clans, Clotted Cream, Earl Grey Tea, Luckenbooths, Silver, Bluebells, Scones, Butter, Orange Marmalade, Lemon Curd, Oatmeal and Heather Honey...

I think there's a line of soaps in there somewhere! Can't wait to start experimenting and developing...

But first... we have a wedding! Yay to the Yayness!!

Is there Lye in your Soap?

2010-06-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

We soapmakers often get asked about the use of lye in our soap. The fact is that lye is indeed used to make soap. While in many minds, “lye soap” brings up images of grandmas and washboards and red, red hands, anyone who has used handmade soap knows that it is quite mild and moisturizing. Sound like a contradiction? Well, the truth is that the lye was there, but now it’s gone. Is it magic? Sort of. It’s chemistry!

Why lye, anyway?
Soap, by definition, is the result of a chemical reaction between some kind of oil (like olive oil, coconut oil or palm oil) and lye. Lye is a solution made with either sodium hydroxide (to make bar soap) or potassium hydroxide (to make liquid soap). The reaction is called saponification. That’s it. Beautiful in its simplicity, huh? The other stuff (colors, fragrance, flower petals) adds to the enjoyment of your shower or bath, but is really unnecessary if you just want something that will clean.

Lye can be added by the soapmaker, like I do when making cold process soap, or it could have been added in a manufacturing facility. In fact, some soapmakers use a soap base that can be melted and then colored and scented. In that case, the soapmaker doesn’t have to handle the lye, but it was still part of the process in becoming soap at the factory before the soapmaker got it.
No lye? No soap. Period.

Where is the lye?
“But hold on,” you might say, “the soap I buy at the store doesn’t have lye.” It may seem that way, depending on how the soap is labeled. Some ingredient labels list things like “sodium palmate”. This is the chemical name for the result of mixing palm oil and sodium hydroxide – oil and lye again! That bar of soap was made by blending in some already-made palm oil soap. The lye that went into making the sodium palmate was used up by the time it went into the soap, so it doesn’t have to be listed on the ingredient label. Or maybe the label lists “saponified olive oil”. Now that you know what saponification means, you can understand that saponified oils are oils that have been reacted with lye at some point, even if the label doesn’t actually say “sodium hydroxide”.

Another very common reason that a soap label may not list sodium hydroxide is that it’s not soap. Surprised? Many bars in the market today are really solid detergents. Read the labels carefully and you’ll see that they are called “body bars” or “beauty bars” since they can’t call themselves “soap” because they aren’t made with oils and lye.

How can lye soap feel so good on the skin?
If lye is used to make soap, why is handmade soap so gentle? The trick is that the lye gets used up during saponification. That’s right. The chemical reaction transforms the oil and lye into (Ta-da!) soap and glycerin. The soap cleans your skin (but not so much that all the oils are stripped off ) and the glycerin is a humectant. That means that it attracts moisture from the air and onto your skin, helping it stay moisturized and supple. And unlike Grandma, modern handmade soapmakers are able to formulate their soap using high-quality, beneficial oils and just enough lye to get a mild, conditioning bar that still gives a lovely lather.
So have no fear! Use handmade soap and enjoy all the benefits that it brings. Because the magic of chemistry has turned those oils and lye into something completely different and lovely: some of the best soap you can use on your skin!

reprinted courtesy of Ruth Esteves
http://sironasprings.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/is-there-lye-in-your-soap/

Scotland, Weddings, and Soap

2010-06-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

I'm getting married... in 29 days!!!

After a trip last year to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, we both fell in love with the Scottish-ness in both of us. Hugh found that he is a direct descendant from Scotland, we joined Clan Lindsay (his clan, his mother's line) and we planned to go back to the games every year... forever! Shortly after our trip, he proposed in his own inimitable way and said, "wouldn't it be cool to get married at the games next year?" 'Nuff said! It was a plan!

We made arrangements and plans and we're doing it... a historically traditional Scottish wedding at Grandfather Mountain the first day of this year's games! We have read, researched, and used as many Scottish traditions as we can... for someone who has never been to Scotland, I feel like I know as much about their traditions and lore as a native. I've learned about the foods, the flowers, the hills, forests, seas, the wildlife, the clothing, the music, the dancing... the religion, superstitions, and even a word or two of the Gaelic!

We're getting married... in 29 days!

As much as we love the Highland Games, I got to thinking...

We could go to all the games within driving distance... if...

We could become vendors at the games and make some money while we enjoy the kilts and pipes!

Well... what is it we do best? Soap!!!! How bout an entire new line of soaps with a Celtic/Scottish theme? The mind's cogs are spinning out of control! Scottish soaps... hmmm... well of course there's always oatmeal and honey (heather honey!), and heather... and Scotch whiskey (soap from whiskey? Hmmm!) and a lanolin soap (sheep shearing!) and ale, and shortbread (shortbread? vanilla?), and haggis (yuck! not in soap, but ideas!!!!)... then there's Robert Burns and all his love poems... My Love is Like a Red Red Rose... Rose Soap! sea salt bars (from the North Sea?), seaweed, orange marmalade (invented by the Scots), clotted cream, Scots pine, oak moss, lavender... Earl Grey tea... the list goes on, the mind keeps spinning...

can it be done? can we do it? Packaging? a soap stamp with a Scottish logo? a tent decorated with a Celtic theme?

29 days till the wedding, gotta think about THAT for now... lots to do, lots to plan, lots to remember...

... but Scottish soap? I'll get to that in a bit!

Cupcakes

2010-05-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

I made cupcake soap!!! First ones ever... turned out super cute... learned to make "whipped soap" for the frosting from one of the many forums I am a member of... thank you "Soapmaking Forum."

A website that gives great instruction on whipped soap is Nizzy.com... fantastic instructions!

To make whipped soap, you start with the lye/water mixture and let it get cold... ice cold... I put mine in an ice bath in the sink and just let it sit till it was very cold. You don't melt the oils with this soap either... start by putting the "hard oils" like palm and coconut in a bowl and using the whisk attachment for the mixer, whip it up till it's light like whipped cream, then add the "liquid oils" such as olive, and essential oil(s) and any other additives you wish at this point (I added some cocoa powder to make mine "chocolatey" and peppermint essential oil)... continue whipping for a bit... then slowly add the lye/water mixture... soon you have a consistency similar to cake frosting and you (wearing gloves!!!!!) scoop the mixture into a cake decorating bag with a star tip attached and pipe a swirl on top of cupcake "cakes" previously made using cupcake paper liners in a muffin tin (these I made using my honey oatmeal cold process soap recipe) and there you have it... adorable cupcake soaps!

The whipped soap takes a little longer to cure... they need a few weeks (4-6) before using them... but they are so cute and look good enough to eat!

My Apprentice

2010-05-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

My dear Hugh is a wonderful man, loving, giving and kind to me... He's smart, funny, and knows how to do a lot of things. Only one thing comes to mind about him that could present any problem... when he is doing something he likes to be in charge... not a problem... usually...

I have been making soap for a lot of years and have my soaping routine down to a "science." I know what goes where and when.

Hugh has been serving as webmaster/shipping clerk/marketing person and more in this business venture at Southern Heart Soaps and he is a master whatever hat he is wearing. But up until this past weekend he was NOT allowed in the soapmaking "lab!" That's my domain... that's where I rule, where I reign as queen! I wear the crown here!

He expressed a wish to learn soapmaking from me, the master! LOL! How could I say no? His argument was valid... at this point in our venture, he has more time than I do, what if we had a deadline and needed product and I was too busy?

Well All Righty Then... but... you have to do what I say... EXACTLY... no question... no putting your own ideas in there... I am the queen here and you are the apprentice... OK? OK! Let's make soap!

We set about making two batches of beer soap... one with Guinness, a tried and true recipe, and one with Blue Moon. We decided to grate orange zest into the Blue Moon and add orange essential oil for scent... who doesn't love a Blue Moon and Orange?

He did great... followed the recipe and my directions perfectly, he understands the care needed when working with a chemical like lye so no problems there, as a matter of fact he works a bit "cleaner" than I do, so that was a plus. I was very very proud of my apprentice! Our soap is now curing nicely and looks and smells delightful.

But I am still queen! The formulations are mine, the technique is mine, the "soap lab" is mine... but he done good! Maybe a promotion to knight is warranted... or at least soapster... not soapmaster yet! Love, Love, Love that man!