Soap Pictures

OK, here are some of the new batches that I have been working oh so diligently on lately.



This one is my new favorite, it is Patchouli-Rose. Using a mixture of Patchouli, Rose and a few other floral scents this new scent was born for the Christmas Season, but will probably become a year round favorite.




This is my batch of Peppermint. It sold out really fast last year, so I am hoping to make two batches this year. It is a combination of lots of Peppermint oil and Tea Tree oil.






I also tried Frankinscense and Myrrh this year. The combination is a little difficult to describe; spicy, but very subtle compared to some of the other scents that I have come up with. It will be very appealing to people who like the softer scented soaps.






I think I will be calling this one Christmas Pine. It is a combination of several woody essential oils, peppermint, and a couple of pine essential oils.






This batch was an experiment with apple cider. My lye solution contained apple cider instead of water. The texture is a little different from the other batches that I have created, but the scent is wonderful. It is a warm spicy scent that reminds me of sipping cider in front of a warm fire in the winter time. It really does smell like a warm mulled cider.

Soap Update

I have been working on several batches of soap in order to get ready for winter and the Holiday Season. So far, I have made Rosemary Lemongrass(Ready Sept 12), Patchouli-Rose(Ready Oct. 30), and Frankinsense and Myrrh(Ready Nov. 5). I am hoping to be able to make a batch a day for the rest of this week if possible in order to have the new batches of holiday scents avaliable starting mid November.

Batches that I will hopefully be making in the coming weeks for December will include Peppermint, another rose scent, a "green" scent maybe a piney forest, a Chai and Spice, and a mulled wine soap using Red Wine and spices. It is quite a few new batches but I am hoping to get them all in.



The batches ready for October include a new batch of Patchouli-Lavender(Ready Oct. 20), Lavender(Ready Oct. 1), Oat and Grain(Ready Oct. 12), Rosemary-Mint(Ready Oct. 25), Sportsman(Ready Oct. 30), Orange-Eucalyptus(Ready Sept. 25) this batch has annatto seed added to it for an orange color with the brown swirl of cinnamon in honor of Halloween.

Gardening Fun At the Market

Saturday's market was lots of fun. Along with the usual things going on, Felder Rushing came to market to display his "Truck Garden", to do an informal demonstration on gardening, to talk about what plants are best for the South, and also to answer questions and give tips on the fall planting season that is fast approaching. It was really exciting to meet him, especially because I enjoy listening to his radio show and it is great to put a face with a voice. We were also able to get an autographed copy of "Can't Miss Container Gardening", and can't wait to try out some of the many ideas and projects contained within the pages. The first project we will have to try is to grow lettuce from a hanging pot. It is a beautiful display that creates texture in the garden, is great for limited space, and it makes great alternative use for a hanging pot. My favorite book, which we will have to order later, is geared for children called "dig, plant, grow", all the projects were created and constructed by children and gives countless projects to do with your children in the garden.

Rushing is the host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's "The Gestalt Gardener. Felder is a 10th generation Southern gardener and the author of many gardening books and magazine articles. He has also worked at the Extension Service as an urban horticultural specialist. Rushing believes that with proper plant selection and the right "tools" anyone can have a successful garden. To demonstrate this he has a truck that he makes appearances with all over the country, in order to pass along his ideas of people-friendly gardening with his good humor and practical advice.