Girls In The Garden Event

I was asked to participate and sell my soaps at a super fun event at Plainview Farms in North Yarmouth Maine called Girls In The Garden on Friday night.  Plainview Farms carries my soaps in their farm store already and invited me for this fun event as a way for their customers to meet many of their vendors. I was soo happy to participate! What a beautifully organized and special event! If only the weather had cooperated more, as we had to move indoors due to the rain. But none-the-less, we enjoyed music, wine, food and garden tours. Here are a few shots from my point of view.

The ladies are arriving!  Can you believe it is late June?  Look at all the outerwear.  :(    But the showers didn't keep them away.  I swear, this woman in the foreground is calling all her friends and telling them to get down here on the double!

Vino always makes anything better!  This cute little vehiclee is from Turina Wines of North Yarmouth, Maine.  http://www.turinaitalianwines.com/

Super jazz trio! Lovely music, soo nice and mellow.  I want to have a party, just to hire them!

The best fun appetizer I have seen in a long time.   Veggie cups with herb dips at the bottom.  This way no one will double dip!  Fresh lettuce from Palineview Farm, cukes, carrots and brocilll.   De-lish!

Shopping in greenhouse #2!  Lots of great items for sale...

Trying on an Alpaca hat...

Ginny makes these beautiful bags herself.  I have my eye on the red starfish one over on the far right of the table.

And this vendor was new, this was her very first show!  Lovely beach treasures, sand dollars and more made into necklaces.  Soo pretty!

Me.  I had a smaller set up than usual.  But it worked just fine! 

Beautiful garden pots....

My friend Jinger is selling her colorful aprons and jewelry.

What a wonderful event!  While I will not be part of their next event, I am sure to attend...a tomato tasting in July.  Mmmmm!

Market Photos

I have been heading out to 3 farmers markets per week.  The weather was a bit cool, overcast and iffy (rain or sprinkles off and on) but we have had some decent markets!  People just love their local farmers and crafters.  Thaks for all your support!  Here are a large group of pictures from our market for you to enjoy.

Wolfe Neck Farm Art Festival ~ This Weekend

Wolfe Neck Farm Art Festival, this weekend!

Yes, this is an aerial shot of Wolfe Neck Farm.  No I didn't take it.  It is beautiful, right?  I mean, a farm, on the ocean?  How nice!  I will be selling my soaps at their outdoor art festival this weekend, Saturday June  18th from 10:00-4:00 FREE ADMISSION.  Hope to see you there.

Here is some info. from their website:

The works of over 50 New England artists will be featured - painters, fiber artists, jewelers, potters, photographers, glass makers, and many more. There will be live music, artist demonstrations, children's activities, and the Snack Shack will be serving food. Free admission. A fun day for all ages!

Musical Entertainment: "Not Too Shaap" Jane Bradley et al 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Children's Activities: Sketching, Sun Masks, Beading and Solar Prints

Art Raffle: The exhibitors are donating a wide assortment of art, crafts and other items for a raffle to benefit the Wolfe's Neck Farm Foundation. Tickets will be 25 for $5. We will be picking winners throughout the day. Thank you our exhibitors for their donations!

Square LOVE!

I'm in love with my new gadget, the Square!  LOVE that I can accept credit card sales right from my phone at the Farmers Market.  LOVE that they make it soo easy.  LOVE that there is just one basic, flat fee.  LOVE!  Do you Square?  We have about 5 vendors at market using it.  It's soo cool.  Now customers can purchase as much soap, cheese, lobsters, yarn, and more that they want and just charge it up.  LOVE you Square, LOVE!

Some of you have asked....here is the link to their page!

https://squareup.com/

Pictures From The Country Side

I went on a little ride on Monday.  On my way out to a farm in Brunswick called Crystal Springs.  It is soo picturesque out that away, I even had to dodge around a parked car with a lady hanging out the window taking pictures (maybe for her blog).  I didn't have much time, but I took a couple of pictures for you.  Only 2, I will try for more another time.  I just love that all this farm land is soo close to the salt water and ocean that I love.  Go 10 minutes this way and you see farm land.  Go ten minutes the other way and you can throw a line in the water and catch a fish.

On the way to the farm.  See it there?  It's a little speck through all the yellow flowers.

A farmer in the field on his bright red tractor!

We'll see how things go at the farm...I may have something to report in a few days.

This Soap Is Brought To You By...

Shipyard Summer Ale, a local Maine brew!  I was boiling beer today to get much of the sugar out so it doesn't cause any problems when mixed with Lye.  Often you have to be careful when using Milks, Honey, Beer, Wine or anything with sugars as it will super heat the mixture and could cause a soap volcano.   Soap making is chemistry and chemistry is serious stuff!  I boiled this beer and burned off the alcohol and made a kind-of beer concentrate.  My beer soap is super popular with men, or any beer drinker for that mater.  I will be making this in a few days, when I am sure that the beer is nice and flat for soap making.

Hand Soap

Really!  Hand soap!!  What do you think?  I don't make these but found them very amusing.

I was gone, but now I'm back...

Summer is officially here in Maine and our Memorial Day weekend helped mark the start of it with agreeable temperatures.  We had 81 degrees on the thermometer and often it felt hotter than that. 

But it is a sad start for me. Early last week my father, of only a mere 62 years young, passed away. He enjoyed sailing his own boat and often came out with us for a sail on our  boat each summer. He was soo happy that I became and "adventure" type of girl and was comfortable with trying new things and especially at home on the water.  He was also very proud that I had my own business and often asked "if he could retire yet" as I told him about a new wholesale account I secured or a new step my business took forward.    It was hard saying goodbye and it is still very painful.  But I know that he would want me to move forward and keep on trying new things.

Here he is last summer, behind the helm of our boat Sea Mist.  I miss him.

I took 2 weeks off from the Farmers Markets and will be back in the swing of things next week. 

Soap Stuido, A Glimpse

I have been organizing the new soap studio...and while it is not completely done (I am still making soap in my home kitchen) I have started curing soaps in the studio, storing soaps on the shelves and shipping orders.   Here are a few photos I thought I would share with you.

Soaps all cured and ready for sale.  I keep all the individual fragrances in separate plastic tubs, labeled for easy identification.  Did you know that I have over 1300 soaps in stock right now!?

Soap ends/slices.  I save the ends of each log of soap and package them up in clear takeout containers.  I sell them as Soap Slices as a kind-of pot luck of soap fragrances, you never know what you will get!

Soaps curing on the rack.  Each batch of soap is on 1 tray.  The soaps cure for 4-6 weeks, which means the water is evaporating to create a hard, long lasting bar of soap.  Here I have Oatmeal, Honey & Milk soap along with Walk In The Woods, Karma, Goat Milk Unscented, Unscented w/ Oatmeal and much more.

A collection of my fragrance and essential oils.

I track all the batches that I make.  I write down the date made and how many batches to keep track of how often I am making a certain type of soap.   This also helps me track my ingredients for the year, how much I used etc.

That's all I have for now.  Work continues in the soap studio.  I still have a whole wall to paint, a counter top to install, a large central worktable to be built and some shelving to add. 

WOW.

Wow.  I found this incredible product.  Peanut Butter Flour. The idea here is that you are saving a ton of calories by not eating any of the oils found in peanut butter.  I have added it to my breakfast oatmeal and made an incredibly delicious peanut butter/vanilla shake (almond milk - less calories, light ice cream - also less calories, and the peanut butter powder).  I haven't found it locally (health food stores or other) but ordered it online via Amazon. Yum!

40 Things Before 40...

I turn 40 this year.  I actually feel like I am part of a club.  I have lots of friends on Face Book that have been turning before me and almost every week I wish another classmate or friend a Happy, Happy Birthday.  I have some fun things I would like to do before my big day (which is early August) and need some help adding to my list.  Any ideas?

Forty Things Before Forty Years

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4 Watch 4 new movies at other peoples suggestions.

5 Try 5 new cocktails.

6 Buy 6 new pairs of super awesome earrings.

7 Compliment 7 strangers.

8 Leave 8 lucky quarters on the ground.

9 Read 9 new books.

10 Learn to say hello in 10 different languages

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12 Try 12 new foods I have never tasted before.

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14 Buy 14 new CD’s

15 Tip a waitress $15 above average

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27 Clean my closet and give away 27 things.

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30 Avoid anything with modern technology for at least 30 minutes!

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40! Make 40 cupcakes!

You see the pattern here, right? HELP!  I need your ideas. Lay ‘em on me!

Happy Mother's Day