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Favorite Shopping Spot

January 19, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

I am dreaming this evening…of my old time favorite shopping spot, Nashville, Indiana.

This is one of the shops. Moss grows on the roof in the summer months. 🙂 Many are fun shops, many with gorgeous rustic and country types of wares.

I lived about one hour away from Nashville, which made it easy for me to visit 4-5 times a year. Up early, off to Nashville, many times by myself.

My stops started with the For Bare Feet shop. Fun, comfortable, locally made socks. I have a pair with flashy fawn boxers on them. Of course, they stay hidden under my pants. I bought dalmation socks one year, along with dalmation t-shirts for my nieces. They wore them out, worn as PJ’s for years.

I had my perfume formulated at The French Connection. They do an excellent job for decent prices! Now, of course, I wear my own.

I shopped at the herb store (I cannot remember the name), to purchase hand made soap. The soap was not wrapped. It layed in stacks on an old wooden chopping block type of table. Brown paper bags layed neatly by the soaps. It was a sack your own soap type of deal. I believe you could buy 5 soaps, get the 6th one free. Oh my, the pathchouli was to die for!

I always had to go the the shops with the whimsicle gardens, such as Ruth’s Garden. And I had to hit up the candle shops. I allowed myself to pick up about 5 candles each trip. 🙂
And I cannot leave out the fresh hot cashew nuts in the Nut House!
Mmm..mmm…the memories! Have you been there?

I miss the little town! I do not think it is quite so rustic as it used to be. It is more of a tourist attraction than it is an artist colony (how it started), but to me it still holds its magic.

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged | 10 Comments »

Sunday’s Thoughts

January 18, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Young Miss Amelie says Good Sunday Morning to you!

I met a very nice lady a few days ago, Alix. Alix has a great blog, Casa Hice! Yesterday, she wrote an enjoyable article about William The Wonder Goat. I think Alix will see goats in her future again! For my friends that are goat or animal lovers, you will want to read Alix’s post, and for those of you that want to help a nice lady (who is also in a winter slump, like the rest of us), yep you heard me, the winter doldrums, please visit her blog!

It was a warm 30-something degrees this morning as I walked down to the pond before dawn to feed the ducks. It felt great! A true heat wave, makes me want to read a book in the yard swing and bask in sunshine. We really do not have sunshine today, and the temperatures are dropping, along with wind and snow showers, but I did enjoy those few moments outside this morning with the quiet and the much warmer temps.

We are visiting with friends today. Our dear friend, Bob, has been struggling with figuring out how to print labels from his computer. This is the same friend that had never touched a computer before last spring. He has since adopted his “friend,” and I give him a blue ribbon for his accomplishments. He is going to get a lesson in label printing today, along with a set of labels from my office. Bless his heart. 🙂

This week I am geared up for soap making. I have colorants that I am going to work with. Honestly, I have never used colorants that were not based on herbal, complexion clay, or essential oils. So…I will be making some fun colored soaps, and I’ll share pics with all of you. One day this week I will tell about the colorants and the wonderful package of goodies that they arrived in.

Beginning February 1, I am going to run a soap of the month special. I believe I have the first scent picked out. It is a popular one! I’ll match up the lotions, and some bath salts as well.

I also wanted to say, if you have any thoughts on scents that you would like to see in a soap or lotion, I have big listening ears. I am welcome to any ideas! I try so very hard to keep myself out of the box of selling what I like personally, what you like might be different from what I like.

Anyhow…I need to end this rambling for the day. 🙂 I can get carried away pretty easily! Enjoy your Sunday, relax, enjoy the reprise from the arctic freeze (if you have warmer temps today), if not, get the extra covers out and hibernate!

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged , | 10 Comments »

Soapaholics Anonymous Giveaway

January 18, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Good Sunday Morning!

Heidi, of Soapaholics Anonymous, has announced a giveaway. I have been following Elaine’s blog for quite some time, bookmarked on my computer way before I started my own blog. She has a wonderful blog, beautiful soap, a very nice person, with a wonderful Etsy shop, and always has been helpful with questions that I have asked. She is now going to carry soap making items such as infused oils. Please check out the Soapaholics Anonymous blog. I think you will be amazed by it too!

Posted in Family & Friends | Tagged | 8 Comments »

Dreaming of Sunshine

January 17, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

The girls say…it will be back soon! 🙂

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged | 5 Comments »

Mid-January Goal Review

January 17, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

The hands of time moves quickly! January the 17th, wow!
Today is a cold, damp day, so I am sitting in the office, with the heater turned up to its maximum, using the one body part that does not normally get cold, my brain. It is not frozen yet. 🙂
I started bringing the thoughts of goals back to the surface. I am serious about the goals that I set this year. I have to be! I am very aware that the only way to be successful is to do it. Nobody will be doing it for me. If I want to do the things that I want to do, reach the goals that I have set, be the person I want to be, then only I can make that happen. I verbally tell all of my friends these same things on any occasion, because I care!
With this in mind, this morning I decided to check the list of goals that I so carefully put on paper several weeks ago.
Oh boy…if I were to give myself a score on progress with the personal list, I would have to give myself a big fat F. Failure! But, wait, I know it is not failure. Failure would fall under the definition of, “I did not make it, and I never tried again.” So, as an act of redemption, and because I will succeed, I am going to break the list down into smaller, more obtainable goals. And I will not look back! I give myself until Monday night to re-write the list…again, measurable, and obtainable.

Then I moved on to reviewing the business goals. Much better! I am
right on target, and many of the goals are ahead of target. Yesssss! Gold star…but I also see where I will improve on the remaining goals, making them successful, by breaking them down into smaller steps.

I know this can be boring stuff, but it keeps me encouraged. And with the financial issues across the globe this year, I truly feel our best defence is to chin up, suck it up, and do whatever we can do to improve on ourselves! I hope you are encouraged too!

Posted in General Reflections | Tagged | 7 Comments »

Coffee Pots, Platters and Websites

January 16, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

What do coffee pots, platters and websites have in common? Nothing, but I smile as I say that.

My eyes are tired. I started working on the website this morning at 7:15 A.M., I just now finished my project. The navigation has been updated, with an easier to read site map added. If you visit some time, please let me know if you find a broken link or see something that needs repairing.

My feet and legs are cold. I never get cold inside the house, but a day of sitting at the desk has done me in. I have an oil filled heater behind me, I turned it up on high about an hour ago. The corner that my office sits in is the oldest corner in my house. I would venture to say it could be 100 years old. Anyhow, it is a whopping 8 degrees now, wind chill -4. The sunshine is pretty though, quite the fooler! And…I am jumping for joy…I just saw that we are having a heat wave tomorrow, 29 degrees is the expected high! The girls will be back outside, stretching those poor leg muscles back out!

I took several pictures this week of different areas of the house, along with things that I like to collect. The coffee pot and platter in this picture came from the same place as the chair and mirror (blog post several days ago). The man that owned all of these things lived in a very old renovated barn. That coffee pot sat on top of the huge cast iron stove in the dairy room for many years. I love it, and I was thrilled to have been given it!

I am excited to tell that I received a wonderful “Good Pack” today from Anne-Marie, CEO, Brambleberry. I have not had the opportunity yet today to open the bottles of essential oils and fragrances, but it is going to happen within the next several hours! You betcha’! Anne-Marie sent a lovely bar of soap, a soap mold, and some colorants as well. I will share all of these items with you, as well as showcase the very much appreciated hand written card within the next several days! Anne-Marie is an absolute inspiration to me. I never expected anything from commenting on Anne-Marie’s Soap Queen blog, my comments come from my heart. I truly treasure the Good Pack! Thank you!

Well, that wraps up the news in my part of Ohio for the day! I need to do some reading and commenting. From the looks of the thumbnail pics, everyone has been busy! 🙂

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged , | 8 Comments »

Spring Fever

January 15, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

It seems we all have spring fever! There is not a lot that we can do for this ailment, there are no special remedies to sooth our souls. We simply dream of what we will be doing when the thaw sets in. As many of us do, myself included, we make the best use of the time. In my case, I will work in the soap shop as much as possible, and I am working on the office. The brand new shredder is going to be worn out very quickly! 🙂

Yesterday I walked into my kitchen and caught a glimpse of my canning jars. These jars are at least 5 years old. To the left is a jar filled with dried dill weed. Do you know, I can walk past that jar and be caught by the scent of dill wafting through the air? I love it! To the right are tomatoes, yellow and red banana peppers, and finally a jar of jalapenos and other hot peppers. It has been a very long time since I canned! I miss it, and plan to work it back into my daily life this summer.

My plans for the summer are to move our yard shed. Put some siding on it to make it appear as a cabin of sorts. I am going to begin my cottage/whimsical garden, with a picked fence surrounding!Part of the garden will contain seasonal vegetables, part will be herbs for the soaps and cooking, and part will be zinnias and marigolds (easy to grow), and I hope to start a path of roses (I miss them terribly), along with some other perennial plants. This project will take years, and money, so I can be patient. It will be a fun work in progress! One of my favorite places, and I do not live nearby now, is Nashville, Indiana. I spent a great deal of time there, not so much spending money, but appreciating the gardens that surrounded the various shops. This picture is similar to the types of shops that I so much enjoyed.

My grandmother was quite the gardener. There was no better slaw maker in southeast Missouri! She used a hand held grater, such as the one displayed on a collection shelf in my kitchen. I love the red handle!
Do not look too closely, tee hee, I see cob webs! I think we have a lot to learn from our elders, and others. We can save a bundle of money for ourselves and be much happier people, just by putting a little effort into our lives to sustain some of our own nutritional needs.

Anyhow…how many votes are there for 80 degrees, sunshine on our backs, watching our vegetable gardens grow, and even canning and freezing to make us healthier and to save money? Put one in for me! Wait…perhaps I will cheat, put 2 or more in for me. 🙂

Posted in General Reflections | Tagged , , | 8 Comments »

Lotion In The Shop Today

January 14, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

I worked in the shop today. It was refreshing to be out there after sitting at the desk this past week.

Today was a lotion making day. I have new scents to put on the website: honeysuckle, vanilla, berry, unscented, plumeria, lavender and baby powder.

I have a very bad case of spring fever! I cannot wait to start my cottage type/whimsical garden. I plan to get canning going again too. I have to make it happen! I’ll write more about that tomorrow.

I love a good plumeria scent. I wish we could grow them here. Today’s photo shows a pink plumeria. I looked at several pictures this morning, plumeria blooms beautiful colors (white, yellow, pink, red and pastels). The plant thrives in the more tropical regions, some of the very southern states can grow plumeria. I also read that the plant can be moved to a basement for the winter. I am not quite ready to try that, but I do hope to start a small greenhouse eventually. The plumeria starts to flower in the summer, stays in flower for 3 months, and sometimes carries the flowering season into the fall.

We have snow coming into Ohio today. I just glanced at the radar. The snow line is about 2 miles away. The pond froze over last night, and it is covered with snow now as well. I hate to see the ducks not have water to play in!

Posted in In The Soap Shop | 6 Comments »

Winter Temperatures and Livestock

January 13, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

People often ask me how cold is too cold for the livestock? I will aim my response at cattle and goats.

In my opinion, the answer greatly depends upon the condition of the animal. An animal in good body condition, with a nice winter coat, no present illnesses, can do well in lower temperatures. I even believe, similar to our local Mennonites that urge their children to play outside in the winter, animals are healthier when they romp outdoors throughout various seasons.

The general rule of thumb for outdoor temperature safety is 32 degrees. With a lack of wind, sunshine, and no snow or rain in the picture, animals can be comfortable at 32 degrees. When the temperature drops below that point, ensure the animals have a place where they can take shelter to warmer when needed.

If it is raining, the rule of thumb is 60 degrees. This does not mean that the animals cannot be left in the pasture at 59 degrees, on a day with light sprinkles. When the temperatures drop below 60 degrees, and the coat of an animal becomes wet (down to the skin), it becomes more difficult for them to retain their body heat. Adequate shelter, such as a lean to, should be provided.

In the winter, animals have difficulty browsing and grazing, so quality hay is more important. Grain is a good additive, but quality hay is what keeps the animal warm. The better quality hay, the better a ruminant animal is able to regulate their own body temperatures.

A few more words…livestock generally do not shiver. When they shiver, they might be too cold, or could be ill. There are exceptions to this rule. I do have one full grown nubian doe that shivers every morning, but only because she is excited to get outdoors. Newborn animals cannot retain their own body heat very well, and they are susceptible to frostbite, the outlines above are for animals that are well on their feet.

The picture above was taken from my office winter last winter. Today the girls are indoors, the windchill is in the single digits, with snow flurries.

I plan to get back into the soap room tomorrow. I need about 7 new batches of lotions on the shelves by Monday. That is my goal date for the website addition. I had to run to town today, picked up new stick blenders. I have a habit of dropping them on the floor. That is quite the no-no on a concrete shop floor!

Take care…stay warm!!!

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged | 6 Comments »

Primitive Soap Balls

January 12, 2009 by Mary Humphrey

Update, and no update (as I roll my eyes), the hugely pregnant does are still holding onto those kids. 🙂

Today I am filling orders and working on packaging for new bath products.

For some reason I began reflecting on my childhood a bit ago, remembering when I began my interest in soap.

I was about 8 years old. We went on a school field trip to a replica of a pioneer village. I loved the big two story house! I loved the fireplaces, the cooking hearths, the old wobbly glass window panes, and the primitive furniture. I still adore these things!

During the field trip we walked outdoors from shop to shop. We stopped at the wood shop, the candle making shop, the wool spinning shop, and the iron smith shop. If someone would have asked me if I wanted to turn the century clock back, I would have let out a big “yes!”

Before we left the village we stopped at the souvenir shop. I think my mother had given me 50 cents that day. I didn’t want candy, nor did I want a toy, I was fascinated by the rustic balls of soap displayed in the big wash tins along the back wall. So I bought my first bar of soap! Pretty similar to the soap in this photo!

A few years later, I think I ended up being the only youngster I knew that had a couple of shoe boxes full of soap under her bed. I had pretty Avon soap shaped like handkerchiefs, hand crafted soap, tar soap, oatmeal soap, every scent I could get my hands on. What a strange thing for a kid to love, but I did. I didn’t think anything of it!

I never thought about making my own soap way back then. It didn’t cross my mind! But somehow I eventually found what I was looking for. Now, more than 4 decades later, I want to make soap balls! I would love to see a vintage jar with soap balls in it!

This is why I urge people to do what their dreams are hinting at…do what you feel creative at. You just never know! And when you allow your creativity to come forward, happiness follows right behind

If anyone knows how to make soap balls, I am ready to learn!

Posted in Products | Tagged , | 19 Comments »

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