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.

Finished Dinosoap

Here are the final Dinosoap Juniors.




The purple didn't turn out as purple as I would have liked, but it served as a nice background for the "splatter" affect I went for. This was a really fun soap to make.

Joanna Does It Again

Just wanted to say thank you publicly to Joanna Schmidt, mentioned 2 posts below, for giving me such a wonderful soap review.

You are awesome, sister! I am so happy you enjoyed my soaps :)

Dinosoap Jr. Sketches

Dinosaur Jr. is a band very near and dear to me. J Mascis, frontman, is a Massachusetts native - from the land of 403 (that's the western Mass area code for those not in the know - it is usually affiliated with the Berkshires. My very own ancestry pit-stopped in Chicopee briefly when my great grandparents immigrated to the United States from Poland). Anyway ....

I decided to tip my soapmaking goggles to the band with a reputation as having one of the loudest live performances in alternative rock history. I recently had the privilege of catching their show at a local Urban Outfitters while they were creating more visibility for college radio stations across the country. They were incredible, as expected. They are big fans of the green/purple color combination, so I've decided to let this become the main driver in the soap creation. I am going with raspberry and mint for scent.

Here are my sketches:

Ace of Cakes

I love the show Ace of Cakes on the Food Network. It is in my top 5. I like the idea of blending traditional techniques with untraditional ideas. Charm City Cakes is a major inspiration. I mean, seriously ...

Speaking of kick ass things, Joanna from The Soap Bar (owner of the way cool, Product Body) has written about my Joan Jett soap. Thanks again, Joanna, for the glowing post! You rock, indeed! Just look at this amazing sugar butter body scrub from Product Body:

Wowzers!