Out of stock??

I feel like I need to explain! Currently, I'm out of stock on more than just a few favorite soaps, and it's the Christmas season too, where people want to buy more, and I'm running out.

It's because I'm trying to make a decision. Yes, a rather big decision!

You probably guessed it, I'm trying to decide whether to continue making soap, and if so, at what capacity. I work a full-time job at the high school, and have also taken on the job of yearbook adviser, which is another job in itself! The soap business was started as a sideline, with the hopes of someday being able to do just that alone. But, as is such in life, things change, and, because we're now dependent on my school job for health insurance, that would be a huge extra amount I'd have to make each month just to be able to do soap alone, if I were to also cover the cost of insurance. It might be possible, but it would also be an extremely huge leap of faith to even try, and pretty risky.

To keep up with the demand for soap, I usually spent most weekends making soap, and a lot of my evenings making labels, wrapping bars, ordering supplies, doing paperwork, website work, etc. Basically another full-time job. In the summer, when I have time off school, it's not so bad, but when I'm working full time, doing farmers' markets after work each week May through October, and shows on some weekends, it gets to be an awful lot.

So this fall, once my super-busy months of September and October were over, I just relaxed a bit on the soap business. My plan was that once I ran out of soap, that would be it, I'd be done. But I do still have enough supplies to make a bunch more soap, and that was my plan for today, which got sidetracked by filling orders, working on the website, etc. Maybe next weekend I'll spend a day making a bunch more.

But that doesn't help those who might want to order for Christmas, because it takes 6 weeks to be ready, and I feel bad about that!! And when I visit with repeat customers at shows, like last weekend, and they tell me that my soap is all they'll use anymore and how much it has helped their skin, I feel bad about even thinking to quit because it helps so many others (and no, I am not usually a "guilty feeling" person about things either!).

The good news is that there should be a supply of the good old favorites ready around mid-January, when the dry winter skin needs it the most.

Anyway...I haven't decided what to do yet. I may just continue the online sales and do a few shows and not take on the weekly markets...I'm just not sure.

I get to

see so many cool things at craft shows, and talk to so many neat people!

Today was another one of my favorite shows to do, the Anoka Riverfest. We had beautiful weather and great crowds, and I got to visit with many loyal customers who came to restock their soap shelves. And even with increased "competition" this year (there were a lot of soapmakers there this year), I still had fantastic sales!

And once in a while I get a treat like seeing this ultra-cool (although really he was HOT!) dog. He was huge! The top of his head was about as tall as my tables, and they're tall...I have them on risers so people don't have to bend down at all, everything is at a comfortable level for shopping. He looked like a little calf!

A few weeks ago my daughter Taylor helped me with the Lemonade Fest in St. Cloud. Another great day! We have been "lucking out" with gorgeous weather again this year, it was a near-perfect day.

At one point during the very busy, very loud day (the Blue Angels air show was in town and practicing that day), we glanced up at this shady rock across from our booth, and saw the sweetest sight...there was a boy, probably about 8-10 years old, sitting there in a meditation pose...legs crossed, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees with palms up and fingers touching (lotus pose??). We watched him for several minutes, and this wasn't a fake pose sort of deal, he really was meditating! Amazing, especially since it was so loud with the air show practice that we could hardly even hear each other, and here was a child meditating in the midst! I wanted to snap a picture of him, but before I could he was done and left.

We always have this great spot at Lemonade Fest, behind the rock and tree is an open space where they have mini-concerts all day, so we get some great music too. That means we get to see some great dancing all day too! This little girl just couldn't stop herself from moving to the music!

Now it's time for a little R&R...vacation time! We'll be closed until July 25 for some much needed down time and will return all renewed, refreshed, and ready to get back at it. By then some of the new soaps should be ready, and I'll put them on the website as soon as I can.

Hope you're having a great summer, thanks so much to my fantastic customers!!

New/Old Soaps!

There's a lady who I see several times a year at shows or markets, and she always asks me "Got any Pearberry again?" That was one of my original scents, and I haven't made it in a few years.

But....since she's kept asking, I know at least one person who wants it again! I bought the fragrance a while ago, and finally made a new batch a week ago, it'll be ready July 25.

Then....yesterday I also made a new batch of Pixie Sticks, another old favorite I haven't made in quite a while, it smells just like the Pixie Stix candy. I think it's gonna be really pretty too, it's a nice grapey color with a gold mica swirl and more mica "painted" across the top. I might change the name to Pixie Paint or something...we'll see. I only made about a 32-bar batch, so it won't be around long.

And then....I've been holding onto this fabulous scent that smells just like Froot Loops cereal, and wanted to do it in the round mold and name it "Fruit Rings" or something like that. Well...the best laid plans...!

I wanted it to be colorful too ('cause it's a kids' soap scent!), and used yellow, red, green and blue oxides to make a pretty swirl. But, when you pour/funnel it into the round molds (big pvc pipes), the colors kind of muddied, and it looks more like swamp water with bits of color here and there. And it was a huge pain to use the round molds, they are hard to seal so it leaks out the bottom, etc.

My daughter looked at it and said I should just name it "Swamp Fruit" so that's probably what it'll be! I wanted to use up the rest of the fragrance, so I just made another batch in the square mold since it probably won't have a "ring" name to it, so the circular shape won't matter. I think it's gonna be a really fun soap, especially for kids. The second batch has more color too, it'll be a fun one to cut up and see the funky patterns inside.

I tried again to make more Monkey Farts, but I'm having trouble getting a fragrance that'll stick and smell good, so that one might be a while yet. The batch I made has, again, a very light scent (too light for me), so when it's cured I'll probably either donate it to the local food shelf or Clean the World.

Oh yeah...I did make another new scent too! Dragon's Blood. An Oriental blend of Patchouli, amber, sandalwood and rose on a warm sweet musk base. It's often described as "mysterious, sweet, earthy." Definitely a unique scent, often recognized as a popular incense fragrance. I think it's one you'll either really, really like...or really, really hate!

Most of the past two weeks has been spent doing a lot of soap making, trying to get ahead of the game and get my stock built back up, it was getting too low. I don't like running out of soaps! I wanted to get a bunch curing too, I'm going on vacation later in July, so most of these soaps will be ready just about when I return, or a week or so after. The summer is looking to be very busy, our oldest daughter is getting married here at home in August, it'll be a pretty big event with a huge tent, relatives staying from out of state, etc., so of course there's lots to do here too!

Never a dull moment...Hope you're having a great summer so far!

Monkey Farts and kids...

Yesterday was Kids' Day at the Monticello Farmer's Market. I got to surprise about 25 kids with a free bar of Monkey Farts soap, and it sure made some of them giggle!

This last batch of Monkey Farts just really wasn't up to my standards for a good strong scent, so I let it serve a purpose that way by giving it away. The kids were thrilled and I was happy to see it go to a "good cause." It was still great soap, just had a sorta weaker scent, and the kids will have fun telling their friends that they bathe in Monkey Farts. What kid wouldn't be proud of that fact?!

And now I can make a new batch that'll be even better.

Both Farmer's Markets are up and running for the season, I'm in Rogers on Wednesdays and then Monticello on Thursdays.

The Lemonade Fest on the beautiful SCSU campus is coming up in two weeks, it's Thursday, June 24, so I won't be at market that day, I'll be in St. Cloud. If you've never been to it, it's a fabulous day with a huge craft show that starts at 11am. This summer, day long festival features local music groups, roving performers, a wide variety of foods and crafts and a children's art and entertainment area. This event traditionally has over 10,000 people in attendance. Then from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. is the free St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra Concert at Atwood Mall (rain site - Ritsche Auditorium).

Come out for a fun-filled free family day!

Soap Donation Thanks to YOU!

A few weeks ago I did an email special where customers could get seven bars of soap for the price of five, and donate another bar to Clean the World, a humanitarian organization that puts soap into the hands of very needy people mostly in third-world countries or, in this case, it was especially needed in Haiti where the earthquakes have caused so much devastation.

I'm happy to report that last week I sent off a 24-pound box of soap, containing 83 bars of soap, to Clean the World offices in Florida!

You guys are amazing! Some people even donated their second bar of free soap to the cause.

So I thank you, not only for being such great customers, but for extending your helping hand to those in need.

If you'd like more information about Clean the World, go to their website: http://www.cleantheworld.org/