Creative Chaos

The past two weekends have been spent (get this) multi-tasking! Since my business has been on the steady incline, I have products to make...and I have so much in terms of jewelry supplies that did not get finished pre-holidays that I keep trying to sit down and create BUT..... I also have this burning need to get organized. My room has been over-taken by beads, my dining room and kitchen are over-run with packaging, and my office and guest room are packed with finished products in boxes and on shelves. The room I have downstairs become non-functional about three years ago when I decided to take a break and stacked EVERYTHING in there....so. Here I am. Trying to put everything in one spot. Claim my space AND produce. It's not simple.

If anyone has any suggestions on getting organized, share share share!

In the midst of this, I did get a new necklace finished that I started but needed to restring because it was not long enough. I also got a new version of Lavender Ice made that I like better. It appears to have cubes of ice in it. It has started off as a great seller. I love it. Its cooling on your skin and it smells soothing. The other one I made today is Mango Tea. The background needs to be a bit more mango colored but the embedded green came out great. The soap smells fantastic. I have a friend (doesnt care for soap) but she cannot get enough of the Mango Tea fragrance in all my other products. Particularly my whipped creme. So, here are the posts of the pics !!

That's about it from me today. I don't think anyone cares if I feel successful that I matched 30 pair of socks that had been in a basket for the past 8 months. I feel pretty successful at completing two loaves of soap, spray painting baskets, getting the order ready for consignment at an art store in Midlothian Va, and finishing a necklace....OH, and lunch with my mom, dad, and my son and daughter.. Home Depot, then prom dress shopping. No wonder I am finished for the day!!! Until next creative surge.... enjoy yourselves!

Inhale

This past weekend I had to 'birth' another soap. In my head, I had a vision of this Pink Grapefruit Soap and I fulfilled most of what was in my mind's eye. My nose was elated by the INTENSITY of the scent. I absolutely LOVE grapefruit and in the middle of a dull winter, it could not be any more rejuvenating.

So, having done that, I have completed the last minute details on the fundraiser for my daughters Dance Company and this Thursday that will launch and run for the next month. I have never done a fundraiser before so it will be fascinating as to how that works out. After making soap for 11 years, I have made a commitment to myself to enter in three huge craft fairs this year and see where that takes me. I am nervous. Though I am completely confident about my soapmaking skills, I am just NERVOUS :)

That is all for today. Keepin it simple! Have a great FAT Tuesday!

New Movie - New Products - New Addictions :)

I am reminded by the little daffodil heads sticking out of the ground in my garden that spring is just around the corner which really is the time of year that inspiration usually comes at me in LEAPS and BOUNDS! This year, the business is taking off and opportunities are presenting themselves when all I seem to be doing is focusing on being creative! It's fun!

So, for the second week, rather than write about them all and squeeze in pictures, I did another movie which is over to your right --- and I put it all to my son's first song. Its really my favorite. First song recorded ever.

Thank you for reading! Have an inspirational day!

Bath Candy

Last night I made Bath Candy to fulfill an order and I had a few 'goofs' left on the table at the end of it all. So, this morning, I was up very early, and I filled the bath with hot water and dropped one of the bath candies in. This one was a special order that goes along with one of my soaps, called Good Earth. Good Earth is a bit complex....with Sandalwood, Orange, Cinnamon..and a few other oils. The aroma wafting out while I made my daughters lunch was AMAZING. So, when I went it to hop into this amazing bath, it had drained :( Determined, I went back, got another bath candy and started again. WOW am I glad I did. I can now smell the lingering scent (3 hours later) on my skin AND the best part, I didn't need any moisturizer as this had several oils but one new to me. Macademia Nut Oil. Another WOW!
I had an email from a local magazine last night who wants to feature my products in their Spring Bath and Beauty Edition. That Etsy is really working for me! Who knew ??? I am really grateful because making bath products that make people happy long after the bath is over, makes me HAPPY!!!
Have a great day !!!

Another Soaping Binge :)

Oh, you know addictions. You try to ignore the call ~~~ you try to push down the urge, but sooner or later, WHAM!!! You get sucked in..and then, you are in it all up to your elbows!!! This time, out popped these spectacular soaps :) I am thrilled!

If I left this Earth Today

I have been gushing at the seams, basking in admiration and happiness, at the places my kids are in their lives lately. Maybe it is because I am turning that number after 49 soon. Maybe not. I really am proud. My oldest son and his wife are expecting their first child in July. They moved into their brand new home nearly 10 months ago and it is stunning. He is quite an artist who I will post his artwork sometime in the next week. My second son just got accepted into his Masters Program on Homeland Security. My third son, is who I am featuring in my movie over here to the right of this entry. We have all known he could sing all of his life. On Christmas, we as a family outfit him with computer software, recording devices, and now a guitar. He never produced any music prior to December 28th, 2008 and now has approximately 15 songs. I have put one here that could possibly appeal to the majority because I know many will not like R and B, hip-hop type music but I do love so many styles that I love all of his songs (except 1). He knows why. This has been copywritten but is not out officially anywhere. He sings night and day, day and night. Lastly, my daughter.....who is a senior...texted me this morning to tell me she got a 4.0 on her report card and we are awaiting the results of her college applications. She is a dream of a daughter. Feels like my grandmother's spirit reincarnated into this lovely young lady. She really is, one amazing young lady. So, today, I was thinking of how self-indulgent this is to put up my kids artwork, but then again, are we not all showing off our crafts? I believe I had a part in crafting these amazing young people and if I left this Earth today, I believe I have left parts of me in all of them. Hope you take a minute and a half to watch the video clip.
Have a wonderful Valentines Day !!! I know I have some love in my life and I am truly blessed.

Soaping drunk :)

It has been a great few soap days and since I am just about to fall into bed with a big happy soap grin on, I will keep this very brief. Had someone contact me this morning to sell my soap in their store. She saw me on Etsy and asked if I would be willing to do it based on how my site looked ~ I think we are our own worst critic....

At any rate, tonight was my first full batch of this Petals Soap and I had it in my brain but tonight was able to make it happen. There are pink and purple flowers on top of green stems right through the whole bar and the SMELL - oh the SMELL :) I sent my boyfriend flowers this past week as we hit our 4 year mark and tonight he brought them to my house and put them in my room (he is here for the weekend). Point is, there is no difference in the fresh flower smell in my room as there was in the soap kitchen. Fresh flowers. That is the smell..... going to close my weary eyes. I have accomplished so much more in this past week than I ever thought possible. Business opportunities galore :)

huge question

I cannot find a music player that lets me upload my own music. Is there such a thing?

Yippy Skippy Day

Oh boy! The boxes have been rolling in with all sorts of new packaging and scents and herbs and on and on......Soooo. Today I started with a new loaf of Hey Ma, Whatcha Baking ? which is the most amazing smell of cookies baking in the kitchen. Matter of fact, it got its name from the first time I made it and my son came up from downstairs and asked that very question. Next loaf....5 O'Clock Somewhere.... Pina Colada extraordinaire..... WOW. It smells SOOOO good that it makes your mouth water. So, there are now 4 new glycerin soaps made, packaged, and ready to sell.
The next creative endeavor is still under wraps but I have the names worked out for 3 of the 4 new soaps. They are all herbal and would be considered herbal 'remedies'. One for troubled skin, one for cheering up, one for keeping skin young, and one surprise...I can hardly wait. I received a box of organic herbs in today ~ and by Tuesday, I should be ready to announce :) It will be hard not to do it sooner but my sons 27th birthday is Monday and we are celebrating tonight. Of course the water main broke down the street and as of this moment, NO water. The man with the truck says a few hours and we should be all set....

Whale Medicine - Spirit of the Sea

I never question synchronicity anymore. Back in the day, I used to scratch my head more because I was truly one of the only people I knew who seemed to even notice how uncanny Universal timing could be. Over the past few weeks, I have returned to my studies of how the Native Americans kept in time with the Universe just because that is something I think they did very well and I love studying herbal medicine. So, after yesterdays Blog Frog - which was not meant to show that I was stuck having something to say, it was the larger picture that I was trying to fit into a niche that was not mine to fit into... and WALLA - this morning I logged on to receive the following message in my email ! HA! I love the way things work when I let go - I hope you enjoy this ---
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Native Americans teach us that the Great Spirit speaks to us through our animal brethren. The whale is one animal that we can learn from. Whales have existed for over 50 million years and are considered to be record-keepers who possess knowledge of the past. It is through the vibrations of their unique sound that they release this ancient wisdom to us. At the same time, their sound carries across such great distances that whales can enter the realm of the future where they can acquire knowledge of what is to come. Every whale sings a song, and they never repeat the same pattern when they sing their song. Since whales must be conscious at all times in order to breathe, they cannot afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long. Never completely asleep, their brain has constant access to the collective unconscious where all answers lie. Whales float peacefully, secure in the ocean environment that supports and sustains them. You can learn from the wisdom of whales by remembering to express what’s uniquely yours. Each of us has a unique "song" or gift to offer the world. Your song is meant to be sung by you and heard by others. No one else can sing this song but you, and your song is medicine for the healing of the planet. Like whales, you can choose to access information about the future when you go into a meditative state. Whales teach us to look at where we came from and where we are headed. Knowing that our past helps shape our future, we can remember to make positive choices regarding our lives, the environment, and our world. Like whales, we can remember to stay awake and actively engaged in a universe that supports and sustains us. When we express ourselves and share our unique gifts, we add our wisdom and vibration to the planet.

Blog Frog

The title blog frog - as it relates to leap frog is my focus today. The Kramer Angle encouraged me to blog back in December, and honestly, I got on here and I can look through everyone's blogs and fall in love with home design 3 billion times a day. The funniest thing about blogging here is I know I held back. Everyone else seems to let it fly and I was finding myself caught between ooogling over sites that I do not really contribute to or telling some really random story of my thinking process and then, THEN, I figured out how to go search for soap sites and jewelry sites and I have since branched out and am having a different experience.

The concept of creating and coming up with creative ideas is always fascinating to me. I do not actually consider myself creative when I start poking around at other sites but I do not think I was honoring what I am creative at doing. The old concept of sticking a round peg into a square hole seems to be the best way to describe it. Once my own lightbulb came on, I felt like I came home (again).

In the past week, since acknowledging where my strengths are, I am almost back to where I was 11 years ago when I could not go to sleep without a tablet next to my bed to write down my ideas as fast as they were coming. As a result, within a week I have new packaging, new gift sets, new products and it was here all along, inside me. The trouble is, I was not accessing it.

So, tonight I have a photo shoot for products. I really have the checklist 'from you know where' that needs to happen in the next 10 days as I promised the Dance Director at the High School that I would sponsor the spring fundraising event.

Its a very busy, productive, meaningful time. I had to find my rhythm. I am hoping we are all experiencing this at a time when we are really forced to reflect on those things that are really important. :) Have a great day...more in a day or two.