5/31/2008

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes - Recipe


mmm... there is nothing like a blueberry pancake with real maple syrup for breakfast. *drool*

I love blueberries and when summer comes around I simply cannot get enough of them.

This morning I decided to use our favorite pancake recipe and add in some delicious blueberries.

The pancake recipe was found on Recipezaar and I have to say it makes the best pancakes.

Go ahead and treat yourself, you deserve it.



Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour or cake flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk *

2 tbsp. melted butter

** Use about ½ cup of freshly washed blueberries.

TIP: Roll blueberries in flour, this will help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

  1. Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the wet ingredients and stir gently just until incorporated; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
  3. Drop batter onto a hot griddle and cook until the bubbles on top have burst, forming small craters.
  4. Flip and cook until golden brown.
  5. Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes to serve 4.

* You can buy powdered buttermilk in the baking section of your local store. This way you can have it on hand, it is easy to use, and you can use it for other recipes. If you want you can also purchase fresh buttermilk.


Not much longer….


Soon we will have our first tomato of the season. *jumps up and down with joy*

We did not plant much of anything this year, normally we have a nice size garden but with the lack of rain this year and last, it is just not a very wise idea.

There are two other flowers so with some luck we will have two smaller tomatoes starting shortly.

Now the question is how to eat it. *rubs chin*

A salad?

A yummy sandwich?

A BLT?

Plain?

I must ponder this thought a bit longer.

Wii!


Dh came home last night with a Wii that he won.

Sweet!

I have wanted one for a long time.

Yeah, me who gets motion sickness at the drop of a hat and hardly plays any video game, wanted a Wii.

This little thing is sweet!

We have been playing the sport games and I am the reigning boxing champ of the house.

Oh yeah!

The tennis is also quite fun.

The boys think this is the best and have already begun to ask for new games. Lol…

I had a feeling it would be fun but honestly, not this much fun!

I think I have a new addiction.

5/30/2008

Melt and Pour Fun


I has been three years since I have worked with any M&P (melt and pour) soap.

It was weird but felt really good.

You see, when I first started making soap nine years ago, this was my first medium. I made soaps in all sorts of shapes, designs, various colors, and it was really fun. That fondness of fun and having friends purchase items from me opened a door for a business. I opted to try CP (cold process soap) in my last year of business. I put my fear of lye aside, made my first batch and instantly a new addiction hobby was found!

About two months ago, I decided to purchase a tiny bit of m&p so I could try adding it to my cp soap. I like the way the two look when combined.

My hope to be able to try it this weekend (with some luck) and my fingers are crossed that it will turn out.


I thought I would share a few of my
melt and pour soaps with you.







Mint Crip M&M's - Review

I felt this is a timely review since we are going to see the new Indiana Jones movie tomorrow. *skippy*

Who can resist and M&M?!

I know I can’t, especially the peanut M&M's. Mmmm…..

Over the past month I have read a few reviews about the release of Indiana Jones themed M&M’s.

I for one am not really fond of mint. – blech – yet, there was something intriguing about these candies.

One day while I was shopping (last month), I spotted them and on an impulse purchased them.

(a marketer’s dream shopper)

It took me about another two weeks before I tried them, must admit that I forgot about them. *blush*

Anyway, when they were finally opened, I was greeted with some odd shaped candies but they still had the signature M on them.

Then I noticed on a few pictures posted online that some had various designs that pertained to the movie.

Bummer… mine were just plain.

The kiddos opted not to try them first (no surprise there) so I was the lucky one to give them a whirl.
I popped about two in my mouth.

I was greeted with the minty sweetness of the chocolate then the crunchy rice center.

The mint was not overpowering but quite nice; the rice center adds a nice texture to the candy.

Spencer did try one and it was not his thing, Nate said that they were fine but would rather the plain M&M’s.

I however, Ms. No Like Mint, really enjoyed them.

It was kinda like, eat one, eat another, how about a few at a time, trust me they are quite addictive.

I hope they will be kept on the market after the movie is done. I think they would make a great after dinner candy or just because.

Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.....

I have to be honest; I was quite ruffled late yesterday afternoon.

(I had to take time before I did this post, otherwise it could have been really ugly.)

Normally, I am pretty easy going about stuff.

Every so often, I might become a little impatient and not let it show.

I would accept an apology on why I would be kept waiting for a bit of time as, “We all have problems and run a little behind. Not an issue.”

Yesterday was not that day.

Oh no, not the day at all.

I did not make a scene but I was mighty hot under the collar.

So what was the deal?

Nate had an orthodontic evaluation yesterday at 4:30, no problem.

(It takes about thirty minutes to get there.)

We arrived about five minutes before hand and proceeded to wait.

Nate was busy playing his Nintendo DS while Spencer and I were chatting about various news stories that were on the TV.

Fine, one patient was called back (10 min. after we arrived) and there was still another ahead of us.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, and now I noticed that the person ahead of us went up (another 10 min have passed) and said forget it she would reschedule.

We sat there; I figured that it would not be too much longer.

Wrong!

It was now 5:00 pm, I had waited thirty minutes.

The patient behind us went up and inquired how much longer it would be for her.

Next thing I know she was escorted back.

Wha?!?! You have to be freakin' kidding me.

I told the boys to get up that we were going.

The boys were now mumbling, “Mom is not in a good mood.”

They (the staff) must have sensed an angry person was approaching for the next thing I knew we were next to be escorted back to a room.

So, it is now 5:04 pm, there were about four people all sitting in chairs in various stages of work or teeth cleaning.

Does not look good.

No sign of the good Dr. at 5:25 pm, the kids are whining and I was tired of waiting.

I picked up the dental sheet, told the boys to go out to the car and we walked out the front desk. I told the billing assistant that I was done; we were not going to wait any more. The office manager had already gone home for the day (nice, real nice).

I was apologized too but honestly, my time is worth something too.

Simply, I smiled and said I would reschedule at a later time.

Out the door and into the open air where I inhaled deeply to get some of the anger/stress out of me.

I felt that an hour was long enough to wait, my time is worth something.

It would not have been bad if they would have stated that Dr. was running behind would you mind rescheduling? Keep me posted on exactly how long it was going to take for him to see us.

Anything!

We arrived home, rustled up dinner and then the phone rang.

(never fails)

Dh answered, he was on for a few minutes, hung up and told me it was the Dr. calling to apologize up and down for me having to wait so long

I do appreciate the fact that the Dr. did call me, I am still not happy about how long I waited for nothing.

*sigh*

5/29/2008

Pretty Soap



You might recall that two weeks ago to my horror, I ran out of lye.

I know, I know-how could I have let that happen?!

Trust me, I am still asking myself that question.

For those of you who missed it, you can read about it here.

My new lye arrived last Thursday but with me frantically trying to get the house cleaned up, kitchen cabinets painted and everything just right, there was no time to soap.

Yesterday was a day to recharge and what better way than by whipping up a batch of soap.

Everything was ready to go, all I had to do was re-melt the oils & butters and get the lye water ready.

Super Easy!

This batch was done at much cooler temps that I normally work with.

I would say everything was around 80 degrees when I started mixing it all together.

The soap whipped up in no time, super easy to work with and was scented using Lady Apple from Flickers.

I sure wish we had a way to share this fragrance; it is a wonderful light apple scent.

The soap set up a tiny bit faster than I was hoping for so I had to quickly place it in the mold and color the top half before I would have really had a problem.

I was trying to achieve a nice red for the top (not enough time to add in the right amount) but I have to admit that I think the pink fits the bar so much better.

The colorant I used was LabColors Red (those made for CP) – you can purchase them from Bramble Berry.

Playing two Sports

There are some who play more than one sport, you know when one season ends they play another.

While we were at the ball game, I recalled various portions of this video and just had to chuckle.

I am going to share with you one of my favorite YouTube videos.

I present you with Clark, the Canadian Hockey Goalie.

Enjoy!



Take Me Out to the Ballgame



On Monday, after we worked outside a bit in the yard with my In-laws (nothing major, just planting large pots of jasmine, spreading out 40 bags of much, trimming hedges, watering flowers, and pulling weeds) we were off to a baseball game.

Our team (Greenville Drive) is a Class A team and is affiliated with the Boston Red Sox.

The field is located right downtown and is exact mini replica of Fenway Park in Boston.

When the new team was formed and renamed, my DH was tickled pink with the new affiliation.

You see he has been a Sox fan since he was a kid and now his son (Spencer) is too.

The afternoon was beautiful, quite warm (86 degrees) and we were ready for some fun!

I have to admit, I am not a baseball fan in anyway, shape, or form. I try really hard to watch (in person is better than TV) but it really is not my cup of tea. Now, give me an ice hockey game or perhaps a football game and I am all for it.

There was a great turn out for the game and everyone there was really into cheering for the team.

One of the big hits (pardon the pun) between innings was watching the watermelon eating contest.

The Drive lost, (happy to say that they did win on Tuesday to break their losing streak) which was tough to watch for they were really playing well.


Below is Reedy Rip'it our mascot.

He was named after the Reedy River that goes through Greenville.



A day of good family fun and memories.

5/28/2008

The Biltmore Estate

One of the items that kept me busy this past weekend was a trip on Saturday to The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

Not too far of a drive for us and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

I have to say that every time I go there I am in such awe of the beauty and size of the estate.

This was our Mother’s Day gift to my MIL, and she simply loved it.


We have been there twice before (two & seven years ago) both times right around Easter, so to see the flower gardens this time in full bloom was a wonderful treat.

I would love to get up there for the Christmas season; it would have to be breath taking.

The flowers and arrangements in and on the grounds are always spectacular.
The rose garden had the most beautiful fragrance from all the roses in bloom. *ahh*

If you ever get the opportunity to visit, please do not hesitate.

You will be rewarded with wonderful memories that will last a life time.

I don’t think I could ever become tired of visiting either the house or the grounds.

You can click on my Flickr banner (over there on the right hand side of the page under the little girl) and see some more photos.

(I decided not to flood you with too many pictures.)

No pictures are allowed to be taken inside the house and yes, it is still furnished with all original artifacts.

Stonehenge Damaged

I am sifting through news from the past few days when I was out of touch from everything. (In some ways it was quite wonderful.)

Last night, I stumbled across the news that Stonehenge was vandalized, how utterly sad.

I thought that I was perhaps the only one who had not known but as it turns out it I was not.

My friend and dh had not heard of it and were both surprised.

Hopefully, the vandals will be found.

Link to Stonehenge damage.

Pop Quiz Time...

I heard that groan.

Didn’t expect this now did you?

Just keeping you on your toes, I would not want to get rusty or anything.

Actually, this is just a fun little quiz to test your knowledge of company mascots.

If you're up to the challenge, then go ahead and take the quiz.

My results… 17 out of 20- not too shabby.

5/27/2008

Knock, Knock

Anyone home?!

I have not forgotten about everyone really I haven’t.

Simply, I have been going full steam since Friday afternoon (4pm) until 6am this morning with my In-laws.

Can you say e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d.

It was a really nice visit with them but I am totally and utterly wiped out.

I was able to download pictures late at night and that was about all the time I had on the computer.

Last night, while I was burning pictures to CD’s, I found out that in my short stint away two of my USB ports have decided to call it quits. *sigh*

Looks like my lappy top (yep, that is what I really call it) is starting to slowly going to give up on me…

How can it be?!

So, I am back in the saddle again and will try to post some photos from over the past few days.

I have to admit, it is wonderful to be “home” again. *grin*

Now, off to find some toothpicks to keep my eyes opened until I can take a nap later this afternoon.

5/23/2008

Nothing to see...

I am beyond the point of exhaustion.
I went to bed on Thursday night around midnight and up by 4am this morning.
Uh-huh.. 4 hours of sleep.
It is now 10:30, 18 hours I have been up and I am beyond tired.
I can tell you over half of the cabinets doors are up, I was able to get the house cleaned and I punted on getting the kitchen painted (a job for next week).
Nothing really to see here, just a bit of rambling.

5/22/2008

Wooo....

paint fumes..

I have a few window cracked but whoa! they are strong.

Good news, I finished the cabinets and am now moving onto the doors & drawers.

Off to run errands, pick up kiddos, run a few more errands and then buckle down on all other items.


There are a few items that will not be done in the kitchen but the main items will finally be completed tonight.

Gosh, this is like a marathon (not liking it one tiny bit).

5/21/2008

Rolling Along...

Rolling

Yes, I am rolling out the paint across my cabinets right now.

Well, not right now because right now I am taking a break and writing here.

I think I have bitten off more than I can handle. *ugh!*

The doors & few drawers need to be painted and yes, the walls are still needing attention.

Oh boy…

Plus all the stuff needs to be put back in, doors up and the dining room cleaned out.

On top of floors needing to be steamed (late tomorrow night), bathrooms scrubbed, lawn mowed, Autumn (other dog) washed and some winter clothes tossed up in the attic.

Plus, I accidentally broke my night stand (just a simple round decorative table) on Sunday and that needs to be replaced.

It will be a mircle if I can get it all pulled together some how before Friday at 4 pm.

Right…forgot to throw in there some grocery shopping and a hamster needing to be cleaned out.

I have not broken down yet….

This is where I will be spending the next few hours ….

They may not look like much but trust me it is quite a bit.

Off to have fun with my paint roller....

5/20/2008

Tick Tock...

So time is just ticking away from me at this point to finish painting the kitchen and clean up the dining room.

I really had all intentions to getting the cabinets painted today but well, er, um, I lost my zip somewhere along the line.

I had to meet someone that I sold some items to on Craigslist (great place to sell your stuff), so once I did that I needed to run an errand.

By time I arrived back at the house it was 10:30ish, hum… not enough time to pull out all the paints and get started.

Eh, I had an old Kodak digital camera w/ printer sitting here that had been needing to be posted up for sale on Craigslist.
Why not now?!
Posted it and whamo!
Instant reply from someone who was willing to meet me in my town after I picked up Nate, super!

I then decided to start scrubbing the other doors that were left; they were the ones that really needed a bomb good hard scrubbing to remove all the ick upon them.

Time to eat lunch, then off to post office, another store to pick up some vent filters for the house, schools to pick up the kiddos, and then off to meet the buyer for the camera.

After I hopped back in the car from the camera transaction, Spencer asked why he could not have it. >insert silent scream<

I asked both boys over and over again if they wanted that camera, each and every time I was greeted with a, “No, mom.”

Of course that all changed when they saw me hand it over to the buyer. *sigh*

I was able to sand all of the doors down and start somewhat on the cabinets tonight, but I need a different roller so I will not have many lines (if any) in the paint. One of those I know I have one here somewhere (while rummaging through a pile of paint supplies) and of course I have about six of the smaller rollers yet not the one I needed.

It looks like another trip to Lowe’s is in order for me in the morning.

Perhaps if I can get good nights sleep I will have a bit more energy to get it done tomorrow.

I can hope, right?!

5/19/2008


I’m still not 100% better but I am plugging along.

Today was just one thing after another, and it looks like it is going to be a frantic week until Friday arrives.

Why is that?!

Well, we are going to have company for the holiday weekend.

My MIL & FIL are arriving Friday afternoon.

Normally, this would not put me into too much of a frenzied downward spiral but….

the kitchen is still torn apart (painting cabinets & now walls), molding in kitchen needs to be sanded and painted, the dining room still needs to be fixed up (that is a whole other story), carpets re-steamed, and a few other smaller projects need to be completed.

We have boxes from dh’s office all over that we need to go through and sort out some how some way. I think they may end up in our storage room in the garage until we can give them the proper attention. *sounds good to me*

IT was a frantic day… here is how it turned out:

  • 4 loads of laundry
  • 2 hostas planted
  • created a new flower arrangement for the front step
  • ran errands to two stores – picked up paint for kitchen
  • sanded and wiped out the cabinets
  • Kilzed portions of the cabinets to be painted
  • 2 new window blinds put up -(had to drill new holes)
  • new shower curtain installed
  • family room vacuumed (moved furniture)
  • made dinner
  • dropped off and picked up the boys from school
  • baked three dozen cookies (I’m in charge of snack for Spencer’s class tomorrow – they are doing PACT testing and they normally have a snack once completed).
  • put dishes away from dishwasher
  • cleaned out behind and under the refrigerator
  • helped Spencer with his homework
  • created strawberry shortcake
mmm...shortcake

I’ll be up early so that I can get a coat of paint on the cabinets before the kiddos go to school.
My goal is to paint the cabinets and walls tomorrow. *fingers & toes crossed!*

So with that said, I am finally calling it a day.

Good night.



5/18/2008

Ugh...

Ack, I am feeling quite ill today.

I have to admit that I have done really nothing.

I fell asleep for about three hours on the couch while the boys watched one of the Indiana Jones movies on Sci-Fi this afternoon.

This is not something that I would normally do, I just keep chugging along but today I simply gave in.

I had so much planned to get done and well, nothing ended up getting done.

*pout*

With a little bit of luck I will be back in the swing of things tomorrow and I can get my projects done.

Off to put my feet up again and just have a wee bit of R&R.

5/17/2008

What a game!!

I have to say that Spencer’s team (The Jets) had one great awesome game today.

They played their hearts out, but unfortunately they lost. *sniffle*

The team was up 2-0 then it was 2-1 and then *gasp* 2-2.

Parents were pacing the field and cheering their hearts out for their children.


Time was nearing the end for the game and it was still tied.

(This was one of the few pictures I snapped today, I was too busy watching the game.)

Whistle blew and then it was a ten minute overtime or until the first team scored.

These players were hustling and trying their hardest to get that ball in the goal for both teams. Coaches were hollering and by this point pretty much all the parents were standing and yelling.

The overtime ended and now we were in a shoot out.

Holy Cow!

The teams picked five players and they lined up. (At this point, I could no longer watch; it was just too intense for me.)

Goal keepers were waiting and ready for the challenge.

First kick to our goalie – SAVE!!

Our first kicker – too wide

Their second up – Score

Our second – miss (ut oh)

Their third – Score off the tip of the keepers fingers

Our third player – missed over the top of the goal (rats)

Their fourth (former teammate of Spencer’s from last yr) – Score

Game over.

I can tell you, I never cheered so much at any game as I did this one.

I could not take the last few minutes, I had to turn around. (yeesh, I was too worked up over it. My poor heart could take no more.)

The team really started to gel over the last few games; it is too bad that the season is over.

They were champions today and they themselves were quite proud of how they played.

The team met up a few hours later at a local pizzeria for a party; a well deserved one at that.

They had a great pizza, and one of the parents made a show stopping cake and some cookies.



The kids were so relaxed and had fun.

There was some talk of the children wanting to play together in the fall if it is possible.

Now that says something there. *grin*

All the children were presented an award from the soccer club for playing the spring season.

The coaches went ahead and purchased awards for each player to award them on their abilities.

Spencer received the best defenseman award and true to his fashion he was embarrassed and humbled by the whole experience.


As a proud parent I would just like to say, “Way to go, Spencer!!”

What a wonderful way to end the season.

Thanks Jets!!!



Side note:

This little grasshopper Nate spotted on a car after the game.

Nail Polish & Hairspray...


I read in a magazine (not sure which one but it was earlier this year) that if you were in a pinch to use hairspray to dry your nails really quick.

We were all ready to go to Spencer's end of the year soccer party and I wanted to do my toe nails before we left. There really was no time for me to do them properly otherwise they would be smudged. *sigh*

That is when I recalled that you could use hairspray in a bind and well, I was in one.
I pulled out my polish, did my nails and then ever so lightly sprayed them with hairspray and *held my breath* then slipped them into my sandals.

Wa-hoo!

No smudge

No smear

I was good to go!

*I would not use this all of the time, but if you are short on time you might want to try this trick.


5/16/2008

Wish us luck...

Tomorrow is the big day.

Tournament time!

Spencer’s team takes the field in one of the first games at 9am!

We hope that his team wins *crossed fingers* , it has been a bit of tough season but the team has never given up.

Early night tonight, since we have to be to the field by 8:30, I can predict quite a few groggy faces in the morning.

5/15/2008

I'm Not a Happy Camper..

Scheduled Delivery: 05/19/2008

I was so hoping that it (my lye) would be here by Friday but no… that will not be happening. (as you can see) *grrr*

I went with this one company because I was told they ship really fast and I would not be disappointed.

Two days to process the order and then three days for shipping. Drat!

I guess my expectations are a teensy tiny bit high but I really wanted to soap this weekend.

Oh well, looks like I will have to get into something else to make while I wait.

Good thing that it's not too hard for me to do.

5/14/2008

Rice Work Crisps - Review

We stumbled upon them ( riceworks Sea Salt) at Costco a few months back as they were giving out samples.

Boy, am I glad that we tried them. (kiddos are not fond of them - pfft! they have no clue to what they are missing.)

These crisps are soooo delicious.

They are good by themselves, with hummus, cheese spread, salsa, cheese. I could go on but I think you get the picture, they go with everything.

Just a few facts about the crisps: triangular shaped, wheat & gluten free, natural ingredients, NO Trans fats (hurray!), 33% less fat than a potato chip!

The crisps have a nice snap to them, not overly salty (no need to have a gallon of water by your side to quench your thirst) and you can really see the brown rice in the crisps. You may have a hard time eating just ten *cough* not like I would have that issue.

A great selection of flavors:

Sea Salt

Wasabi

Thai Curry

Sesame Soy

Sweet Chili

I would love to try the Thai Curry, if only I could find them. :-t

Check out riceworks and see if they are in your neck of the world, so you can give them a try.

I think you will be hooked!

5/13/2008

Sea Mist & Carrot Soap


Carrot Soap made with carrot juice.



Sea Mist
I absolutely love this bar!
I think this is the best bar I have ever made!


I am really tickled with how the bars turned out.

The Thrid Time is .....

not the soaping charm. *pout*

I was having a hard time getting motivated this morning, a real hard time.

There were errands to be done, drawers & doors to be painted, laundry to be put away and a tub to be scrubbed, but all I wanted to do was to do nothing.

After putting off some items and talking to dh as he drove to work, I sifted through some email. Not a bad start to attempting to get something done.

Then I noticed the time, hum… 10 am well, guess the errands could wait another day and I could tackle some things at home.

Opted to cut my sea mist soap and then I decided to whip up another batch.

Pulled out a recipe and fiddled with it a little because I wanted to use Mango Butter in it, checked it out in a soap calculator (helps me with how much water & lye to use) and began to measure out the ingredients. Melted all the ingredients, put on my protective gear, headed out to the garage to measure out the lye and mix it with the water.

Slight issue… (nothing unusual) to my dismay I was short 1.4 ounces. (What? You mean you did not hear my scream?! I'm surprised.)

Quickly I decided to run to Lowe's to see if they had lye in stock but while I was out and about I might as well stop and get two of my other errands done.

Zipped to Lowe's, walked quickly back to the plumbing section (toes crossed that would be in stock) and ugh!

They are out.

No, no, no… how can that be?!

I came home, placed foil over top my pot, placed the mixing items way and was totally bummed.

I placed an order for lye, with some luck it will be here by the weekend. (Oh please, oh please be here.)

Guess the third time was not the charm today. *rats*

5/12/2008

Posting about a post...

I began working on my write up about the Isle of Palms (Charleston) on Saturday but had to save it due to lack of time to wade through all of the pictures.
Tonight, I was able to get back in and finish the post.
To my surprise, the post is published on Saturday not today. *rats*
So, if you are interested in my trip check out my Isle of Palms post.

(Yet again, another mental note has been made on how things work in Blogger. My head is swimming a bit with all the info.)

Next Up....Sea Mist Soap


Today, between painting more cabinets (what a project this is turning out to be), laundry, cleaning up from breakfast, answering phone calls, I decided to make a new loaf of soap. *wahoo*

This batch I decided to use Sea Mist from Heaven Scent Candle & Soap Supplies.

OMG! What a refreshing and beautiful unisex fragrance.

Kinda reminds me of when a sea mist rolls in, just totally clean and revitalizing.

I opted to add in some jojoba spheres (blue), a bit of my liquid titanium dioxide (recall, I don’t get along with powdered titanium dioxide) and removed some of the soap to color it blue. Now, the blue will not be a pretty sky blue as I had wanted because I used olive oil in this batch and it can tend to slightly “tint” the soap.

The soap mixed together perfectly, now I wait anxiously to rip open the lid and see what it looks like. *biting nails*

Silly little bit:

Spencer was home today with a sore throat.

He wanted to keep me company while I was painting, so I told him to sit in the middle of the kitchen floor. This way he would not be able to touch any paint and have it get on his clothes … or so I thought.

I was finally done with the cabinets I needed paint today, so I picked up stuff and headed to the laundry room to clean up.

When I emerged, I see Spencer rubbing his shirt.

No, no.. I really don’t see white on his shirt do I?!

I ask really nice, “What’s up with the shirt, big guy?”

Um.. nothing, really, nothing.

This is the point I hear the warning bells going off in my head.

So… “Then why are there white marks on your shirt?”

Really, there are? He stated.

Then went on to say, “Huh.. I just leaned way over the edge to get to the sink and wash my hands.”

Gah.. I swear this boy is a magnet for paint. Every single time I paint a room, those little paint particles just end up on him. Last year, it was white paint on his black shorts when I painted Nate’s room. Before that, green paint from his room on a white t-shirt. When he was much younger, some how he ended up with paint on his feet and that was tracked over the carpet in a few areas.

Never a dull moment.

Carrot Soap



I fell in love with a bar of carrot soap a few years back when I was in a soap swap.

The bar was simply wonderful and since that day I have wanted to create a bar of my own.

I went to the store Friday night for a few items and noticed that carrot juice was on sale.

Humm.. no time like the present to give it a whirl.

I brought out all of my soaping goodies yesterday (Mother’s Day) and began my fun.

This bar is made with rice bran oil (rbo); I had some so I thought I would try to finally use it all up.

I scented the batch with Nectarine Blossom & Honey Jo Malone type from Fragrances by Design. This fragrance oil was purchased because of wonderful reviews and I wanted to try something new.

What a beautiful fragrance and it fits the bar quite well.

Everything went so smoothly together, oh happy day!

I checked (I know, a big no, no) last before I went to bed and it was still in gel stage.

Hummm.. I went to bed with my fingers, toes, and knucles crossed.

Once the hub and bub of the morning was behind me I went and opened up the lid to the soap.

Oh the horror!!

I have a huge crack in the top. Arrrgh!


This has never happened to me before and I was so heartbroken. (More about the looks of the bar than anything else. *sigh* )

It would appear that it heated up a bit too much. *drat*

I cut the loaf up and now they bars will be curing for six weeks.

I’ll take a picture of them in a few weeks and let you know how they are doing.

The do smell wonderful and you really can’t see the crack too much.

*Every time I make soap with rbo, I have issues, so I think I will not attempt any more bars using it.

Just stick with my recipe and know what to expect for the end results.

The Phizzingtub. Design by Berenica Designs.