I Did It! I Did It! I Did It!

For reals this time.

Nope not cheese...

not pumpkin...

Anybody who tries to tell you 

soap making is sooo easy-

is saying that because

they have already made the mistakes

had the flops and

learned the right way.

One thing I learned is that 

temperature is crucial!

This recipe has palm oil in it

which accounts for the orange color.

I'm not wild about the color,

but the soap should be really good

for our summertime skin.

I had two flop batches.

One was usable, 

one I didn't trust so pitched most of it.

At least I know two ways

not to do it:)

I need to practice 'unmolding' it.

It will be a couple weeks before

this is ready to use.

Now, I'm antsy to make another batch~

without the palm oil

and maybe with some crushed chamomile.

So try something new today.

What's the worse that can happen?

So you have to pitch a batch, or a block, or a loaf.

You will be the wiser for trying,

and you might end up with a good campfire story.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

All Dressed in White

In one of my favorite movies,

'Enchanted April'

there is a bit that states

"The whole countryside seemed to dress itself in white."

I think that's how it goes.

It is in reference to all the flowers that were in bloom~

Mock oranges smell heavenly.

I feel the same way towards our spring.

One white flower follows another.

Night-glow wears a beautiful dress that glows in the light of the moon.

It's a little later than April,

but I look forward to it every year.

Wild roses provide wonderful red hips for tea, jelly and crafts come fall.

The shades and textures against the sweet new green.

 Snowball is nearly finished.

A sweet little petunia type in a pot.

And of course my favorite - the locust blossoms.
Their fragrance is intoxicating and fills the air
so that you think you must be in some sort of faerie land.

(I missed getting pictures of the white lilacs
and don't have one of the elderberry blossoms.)

Happy Spring everybody.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches 

Trim the Tree & Deck the Halls

What? No Halloween Tree? Gasp!

This weekend, I dug into the autumn time bin and did a little decorating.  Each year, we decorate the tree with all kinds of ornaments, some homemade & some store bought, orange and purple candy canes, & black and orange glass balls.  We string the orange lights on the beautiful black branches and take a breath as we plug them in and see it illuminated against the night.  I am working on a quilted tree skirt so it won't always look quite so bare about the bottom.

A few years back, I found a set of Halloween ornaments & nabbed them as it's not something easy to find.

My daughter made this little purple spider years ago  - you know, before she was cool:-)  Actually, she would probably make it all over again today.

I made several owl in the moon (above) and the little hat (below) ornaments.

When the kids were reeeally little, they loved making chenille candy canes so of course, those will always have a place on the tree.

Oh, but we don't stop there - un uh.

There are signs of the season here.

And here.

Grampa's clock has some company.  Looks a little out of place, but so be it.

Made her many, many full moons ago.

Sweet Otis Ryan always makes me smile.

This year I have a special treat to hang above the wine rack.  If you missed that one, you can click here. 

I love autumn.  I don't so much care about being scary, but I love the nostalgia of the season - the games and traditions of long ago come to surface within my heart, and the crisp breeze blows everyday worries away if only for a little while. Everything is pleasant and good.  Our blessings are abundant, and we are genuinely thankful.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers & Even Stitches