Cute Dishtowels

I love a good, kitschy dishtowel. I have one depicting a woman in 50's garb with the phrase, "Make your own damn dinner" on it.

I think these blowfish dishtowels from Kraken Crafts on Etsy are super cute.

Mmmmm .... Ginger Verbena Body Butter

We'll see how my workmates respond before I decide whether or not I need to tweak the recipe. The smell is crazy intoxicating.

[edit: some of you may know this - I am mental about my New England sports teams and right now, if Kevin Garnett weren't a happily married man and I not extremely happy in my relationship - I would be making a serious play for this guy. Gorgeous. Talented. Passionate. Loyal. My top 4. I can easily do without the gorgeous factor, but Kevin Garnett has it all. I keep a personal blog where I go on and on about such things ... I only mention it here because the Celtics are - hopefully - about to take tonight's game away from the Hawks. I've been watching in between shea butter whipping sessions.]

[another update: the Hawks would not allow the win.]

Going for It

Tonight, I am experimenting with whipped shea butter. I have been fantasizing about this for a long time. Fellow body product makers, I am sure you understand this insane and all-consuming desire to try your hand at a new item.

Something else occurred to me this evening. After work (ye ole day job), I zipped into the grocery store for some supplies and I thought about how weird it must be to watch someone throw 2 enormous containers of olive oil down, along with multiple bottles of grapeseed oil, boxes and boxes of cornstarch and baking soda. Even weirder - the physical joy I express when the store is having a sale on olive oil. 101 ounces for 12 bucks - WOW! I just go bonkers. And you ought to see me scan the craft store. Looking for anything - ANYTHING - that could be used as an ingredient, packaging, or tool. I guess that's how you know that this little passion could become the one thing you never get tired of doing. I believe you all know what I mean here.

Wish me luck with the whipped shea butter. I promised some gals at work that they could be my guinea pigs tomorrow. *insert Vincent Price laugh at the end of Thriller*

Tart and Tangy

Can you tell how thrilled I am about the impending summer weather?

Tangerine Lime Bath Bomb

Don't Let Your Summer Be Cruel!

Reach for a lemony treat! Introducing our new Lemonade Chiller Lip Balm ...





Pairs nicely with an Ice Box!

Thank You, Acushnet!

I wanted to send a warm thank you to Amy in Achusnet, MA, for inviting me into her lovely home for a Stella Marie spa party last night. I had a wonderful time! The gals were loads of fun! And the time flew right past me!

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did :)

More Cool Stuff

While I am plugging stuff, check out this kickass shower curtain from HomeVisions.



And though it isn't the fanciest, I am a big fan of this wire soap dish from Serafina. It offers the best "breathability" for handmade soap, thus extending its life.

Cool Sofa

Check out this awesome tub-inspired sofa available at Reestore!



It's a UK company, so I don't think I could get my hands on it without having copious amounts of expendable dough, but I can admire it from afar.

Pictures from the Punk Show

Here are a few pics from Saturday's show. We met lots of interesting folks, saw some awesome live music, bought some cool crafts, and sold some soap! It was a blast!

Our Where-Abouts This Week End

You see, there are people from Brooklyn. And there are people who have lived in Brooklyn for a long time and put real roots down. That's cool.

But then there are people who move to Brooklyn for five minutes from all over so they can CLAIM that their band is from Brooklyn, when clearly, it isn't. They are using the grittiness and hipness of Brooklyn for their own temporary gain. Not cool!

Folks in Danbury have had it with these posers and are taking action!

We'll be taking part in the flea market on Saturday.

ICE BOXES

4 Tablet-Sized Bath Bombs - Cool Mint Scent

The Importance of a Good Stick Blender

Some soapers enjoy the relaxation of hand stirring their lye mixtures and fats. I've often thought about doing this, too. But I am a woman with little patience, so the stick blender is my most invaluable soapmaking tool. When I first started making soap, I went through 2 stick blenders in a month. I bought inexpensive models and paid the price. The next time I went to Target, I went straight for the priciest blender they had. Smart move. I LOVE my KitchenAid! Quiet, reliable, 9 speeds, and fire engine red!

De La Soap

My friends and I were pretty addicted to De La Soul's, "3 Feet High and Rising" during our college years.

How can you go wrong with such classics as, "Me, Myself and I," "Tread Water," and "Potholes in My Lawn"?

There is something very uplifting about this trio. There wasn't a bad mood that De La Soul couldn't wash away. This is why I've dedicated my next soap to Plugs 1-3 from Amityville, NY. Given my pension for horror movies, their hometown is just a bonus.

I bring you De La Soap - Oatmeal, Milk and Honey scented soap with oatmeal on top.