Deadline Approaching

I've been focussed on other things recently, like readings for clients, preparing and selling soaps for the little Xmas craft fair organized in our local library (I did quite nicely, thank you, and all proceeds already spent, of course; I also did well in my bartering/trading ... perhaps I am secretly a Ferengi ?) and DH's Big Four-Oh - he loved his voucher for a track day driving an Aston Martin and an Audi R8: so much so that he said that they'd have to surgically remove the grin from his face. Quite an accolade, from a man who specializes in 'smiling on the inside'. And this gift Win means that I can tell you that my own self-satisfaction has hit record levels: no surprise there, then.

But anyway, because I've been focussed on those things, progress on the SoDMk2 has slowed somewhat; as I've said before, obviously I can only work on it during the week while DH is away at work. I figure that this gives me just next week and about 2 days of the week after to complete it. Here is where it's got to so far:




Back, front, and one sleeve done; other sleeve half-done; collar unstarted. It is looking feasible that this might just get done in time for Xmas.

The other thing that is looking like it might be achieved before Xmas is my new dog. Inclement weather meant we could not drive down to Eastbourne last weekend, but it is all scheduled in for this Saturday; as long as all goes well ie. he doesn't eat the kids on sight, we shall bring him back with us. Superstition means I shan't post a picture of the dog quite yet, but suffice it to say that
he is not one of these:




















or these:




















as my taste in dogs (and men) runs well into L sizing and beyond ....

Limited Edition Xmas Soaps (2010)

At last I have managed to wrap and photograph my Xmas-themed soaps; I had sent the children outside to the front to play in the snow while I quietly faffed about in the back ...

But first, our guest Cuddles has a new winter-ish outfit courtesy of Mini Diva, who Gokked him up good with a dolly outfit and told him not to be over-concerned or sensitive about his super-long arms and legs that a supermodel would kill for, girlfriend ....




And now to business; the first limited edition Xmas soap is Xmas Cookie soap because that's exactly what it smells like, a festive mix of vanilla, honey and warm cinnamon ... granulated coffee provides the artistic speckles, while real honey adds depth and background to the mix, which includes shea butter as usual:




Yes, that is real snow and real holly ...

Next is Honeyed Orange Spice Soap, a welcoming gentle mulled scent, again with real honey and shea butter in the mix for extra yumminess; ground cinnamon sprinkled over the top for kicks:



And last, but certainly not least, Bah Humbug Soap: enriched with shea butter, peppermint scented with tiny chunks of reddy-pink throughout for visual stimulation; this soap is round, and wrapped like a traditional old-fashioned hard-boiled sweetie:



I also took pictures of 2 wrapped Xmas gift baskets:































Gift basket wrapping is available for any combination of 2 or 3 soaps at an extra cost of £1.95 per basket; larger quantities of soap can be gift wrapped by arrangement: just drop me a message via Twitter, email, Facebook, Folksy or Misi ....

Xmas soaps being listed on Folksy, Misi and Facebook as we speak.

Friday Frenzy

I love to barter/swap/trade: before now, I've traded tarot readings for reflexology treatments (can we say 'fab-u-lous' ?), scented handmade candles and melts, and I've traded my own handmade soap for tarot decks. Recently I traded a tarot reading for some bath & beauty goodies, all the way from sunny Florida; Celeste, who must be one of the very, very rare people without an online selling site of some sort, also known as The Soap Pedaler, sent me a super box of yummy-smelling stuff:




I'm using the Linden soap right now: small, tight bubbly lather, and again, a great fragrance; Mini-Diva already snitched the organic peppermint lip balm; and I think the Lavender & Rose shampoo and conditioner are really great: the shampoo is harder to lather than the commercial stuff I'm used to, but the conditioner feels lovely and goopy, yet rinses out easily, leaving a fantastic scent that really hangs on, so that you get whiffs of it all day. Thanks, Celeste.

I have completed the front of the SoD2,which I feel is not bad going:



It's actually charcoal grey, not that blue-ish as it looks; but it's about to pour down, so the light today is dodgy. As proven by the also-rubbish photo of my Harebell Stitch lace scarf, which I've made as a Xmas present for our neighbor, Su, using a steel blue shade of Kidsilk Haze on 5mm needles:








































I know knitting a scarf for a woman who wears flip-flops in the winter snow might seem a bit odd, but it's just her shade, and very light and fine, and thus may fool her into thinking it's not actually for warmth ...

Now I have to go run round and do lots of things - not least of which is the reading for Celeste - plus, housework; go to school for a scheduled talk with Mini-Diva's teacher, which could be interesting given that the Ofsted report sent home yesterday shows the school has dropped a grade, down to a mere 3; cook dinner, because it's Friday; collect Destructo Boy from his friend's house after tea; buy tickets for tonight's fireworks .... as long as it isn't raining: memories of last year's debacle are still all too clear, and even the promise of hot spiced cider is not enough to get me out in that again.

Wednesday's Child

... is full of woe. But that's not me, OK, because I've had it with moping around aimlessly. The amitriptyline made me feel sludgy and half-asleep all the time, but did not prevent waking in the night: I ought to have asked the doctor why a sedative instead of a sleeping tablet, but by the end of my appointment I was too weary to argue. So I've had it with that too, and kicked my own (ever-expanding) butt instead.

The doctor's great idea for dealing with my weight gain, by the way, was to exercise/join a gym and change my diet. This was without asking me anything about my lifestyle first, so I just looked at her with my mouth agape, since my diet is pretty healthy (very little fried or fatty food, lots of salads, little meat, no chocolate, few sweeties or cakes) and hasn't changed, and also because I get at least 1 hour of brisk walking 5 days out of 7.

Instead I've had a really productive couple of days ...I listed two new soaps on Misi - but not Folksy, because the listing facility seems to be broken, along with their technical support - and they are lovely, even if I say so myself.

Since asses' milk is proving somewhat challenging to source these days, I used goatsmilk as the liquid in this fabulously rich and creamy soap, named Cleopatra's Delight; shea butter, cocoa butter, a generous helping of calendula petals into the mix, and a fragrance that Cleo herself would have considered decadent - and her due - a combination of musky myrrh, rose, jasmine, and patchouli, and the result is a lightly textured soap with a really luxurious lather and scent.




Also cured and ready to go is my new Caramel Kiss soap: made with the usual lashings of shea butter and cocoa butter, with honey and Maple Syrup added to enrich and provide 'background' for the rich, fudgy, caramel fragrance, Mini Diva has decided it is her new favorite. Smells like sweeties, but none of the calories ...



And in the spirit of embracing new things, I am experimenting with a Facebook storefront that is linked to my business page; here I will have a slightly different offer than in my Folksy or Misi shops .... click the 'like' button and see what difference it makes ....