Computer Problems, Red Salad and Lemon Lavender Iced Tea.

Somewhere along the line I got out of the habit of blogging and into the habit of tweeting.  Twitter is perfect for my ADD mind... that seems to run on fifty tracks at one time.  I think it also contributes to the reality that my life feels that it's going fifty different directions most of the time. One of these days I'll figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

I spent some time Tuesday unplugging and that was wonderful.  But since then the unplugging was more forced than usual as my computer suffered some serious issues.  Silly thing fainted on me repeatedly and I began to be very frightened for her welfare.  There was a point yesterday when it was all very touch and go.  I considered calling in the relatives.  She'd go non-responsive, "Clear!"  ZZZOT!  over and over again!  Yesterday there was surgery to remove McAfee and Adobe Acrobat, and she pulled through that ok.  Overnight I left it with a second scan for virus and she came through that clean.  There was a transplant of my files to my external hard drive and some very stern language at points.  There were all kinds of scans and diagnostics, some very invasive testing.  Today she is having a better day.  She has not fainted even once all day, we hope that we are past the worst.  In my solitary life, this contraption represents my connection to a world beyond these walls.  Believe me, I am very grateful that she's doing better!

And here is a random fact from my meaningless existence:

I must be very bored to be taking photos of my lunch. Red salad, iced tea. Red salad = strawberries, mint leaves cut up into little slivers (there is a big fancy schmancy word for that, which I have forgotten and couldn't spell even if I remembered.) black pepper and a bit of sugar. Lemon Lavender iced tea. That was an interesting experiment, it works.

Here's how I make iced tea:
I have a coffee pot that has not, and will never see coffee. I really dislike coffee on so many levels, but that's a bit beside the point. One large family style naturally decaf bag of tea goes in the basket. Half a lemon, sliced, goes in the glass pot. I added three stems of lavender blossoms to the pot as well this time. Turn it on and wait until all the water has gone through. Add the warm mixture to 3/4 cup of sugar (or to taste - and don't you dare put any chemical fake sugar stuff in this recipe! Gag me with a SPOON!) and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add lots of ice and enough water to make a gallon. Presto! It's easy and it's yummy.

I'm very glad to be back online today, grateful that the silly computer didn't die. I would have been very cross! I'll try to do better about blogging the mundane details.

Savor the Flavors,
-Carmen Rose

Fresh From the Fire.

Two tack fused pendants in oranges and red with a little dichroic glass. There was another cool star shaped one but it broke. Tsk tsk These are $20 each.
This is an ornament I made for my Mom whose favorite color is lavender. It's crushed lavender glass, clear and dichroic glass tack fused so that it keeps it's texture. Then I grind off all the sharp edges so that it doesn't hurt anyone. I like how it turned out! *Not for sale.*
Plus, I made a number of new kiln shelves to fit my kiln and they turned out beautifully!

Soap Truffles (and living in the details)

I’ve just finished photographing these little soap truffles and I am so pleased with them! They are all natural soap with all natural herbs. No colorants, just pure natural soap. Now that’s just as good as it gets, that’s why I decided to call them soap truffles.

Top left is vanilla, and not just any vanilla either. Vanilla fragrance oils tend to have an overly sweet quality and sometimes they are downright horrible. However, real vanilla is an amazing and rich fragrance that is lovely and so I put in natural Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste. Yeah, the kind you’d put in some rich decadent desert recipe and it is yummy! It’s a very mild fragrance but it is so lush and exotic that the first inhale will have you! The longer this bar sets, the darker brown it will become.

Top right is peppermint rose, real honest to goodness essential oil of rose, peppermint and a bit of spearmint as well. And those little dried pink rosebuds are just perfect on there. Those little rosebuds will eventually start to discolor the soap to a dark brown or black so this is a bar to USE.

Bottom left is lavender! It’s a full tilt lavender addict bar with lots of rich fragrance and lavender blossoms in the top. Your skin will love the healing properties of lavender essential oil, the scent is wonderful and you can even use the side of the bar with the blossoms to exfoliate your skin. This is another bar to USE as the lavender blossoms will discolor the soap to brown.

The last bar is Lemongrass Sage and it’s a wonderful herby combination of Lemongrass, Sage and citrus with just a touch of patchouli. It’s topped off with calendula petals that will gradually color the soap a wonderful rich gold. Use the petal side for gentle exfoliation.

I intend for all the soap I make to be used rather than set out only for pretty. Using a lovely bar of artisan soap is an inexpensive way to pamper your skin and your senses each time you bathe or wash your hands. I like these little reminders to take good care of myself, to feed the spirit. This soap is all natural and free of SLS and SLES (additives that tweak lather and hardness which are irritants to some folk’s skin.) Each one is a fat two ounces. I sell these locally at the farmer’s market but if someone wants to place an order for a quantity of them (minimum order required) then contact me. I think they may go fast.

All soap that I make right now is considered “limited edition” which just means that I’m doin what I love by designing a new bar every time I enter my soap studio. And to me that’s what keeps it interesting. I saw an old friend a while back. He told me that if someone asks you what you do for a living you should be able to answer “exactly what I want” and if not, then you’re missing something. I loved that, there is certainly something about doing what you love that is food for the soul. I think he put his finger on one of the best kept secrets to happiness. Too many people out there working jobs they hate for the health insurance. Gah! Worse yet, too many people are working really hard to support a lifestyle and goals that come from obligations, “should's” and the expectations of others. Their days determined by external forces rather than purposeful (Purpose-Full) choices made. That breaks my heart every time I see it. (the ol heart breaks often.) Come on, this life is short! You are not guaranteed tomorrow, is this what you want to do if you knew this was your last week here? Oh wait, am I up on my soap box again?! O! Sorry. =)

I saw a video a while back that facinated me. The speaker was possibly one of the most hyperactive ADD adults I’ve ever seen and everything about him was distracting. But he made the most interesting point. The first time you do something, you’re an artist. The second time you are an engineer. And the third and fourth time you are a technician. If you know me, you’ll know I am no technician. I'm barely an engineer, I am fully and completely an artist. And it is for that reason that every bar of soap I make right now is a new experience, a fresh new discovery/creation. Everything is “limited edition” until further notice. It's what works for me.

Lovely fragrances to you all! And next time you are at your local farmer's market, buy a beautiful bar of artisan soap and USE it every chance you get! If you have special skin concerns talk with the person who made the soap, if they can't answer your questions then keep moving. Throw away every bottle of anti-bacterial soap you own and get back to the real thing. Life can be brutal. Use it to remember to be kind to yourself. It's the small things. Living is in the details.