I’m a complete freak when it comes to organizing and storage! I love it and it loves me… a match made in heaven. So, naturally, before I can venture into making soap full-time, I have to get all my supplies and ingredients organized.

Now, I live in a 800 square foot manufactured home (a modern mobile home), so space is not a luxury for me, but I think it should make due just fine till I get famous.

From one organization freak to another… I’m LOVING my ‘Resource Binder’ too.

I’m almost ready to start making. I should finally have everything I need this week. Steve’s been helping me plan my first batch and what to put in it. We decided to try a hop soap for all those beer lovers out there. It’s gonna be great.

Life’s full of bumps. I just wrote this huge paragraph venting about how… well, in a nut shell, we should cherish the bumps and not consider them a detour from our ultimate goal of success, but decided to start back at square one to just say – Life is the bumps and I’m intrigued to see where they take me.

This all to say, the financial struggle of our time has turned us in a new direction. Sometimes I think I’m exempt to stuff happening around me, then SMACK! it hits me in the face and I’m force to change my tune. Change is good!

I got some pink peonies at TJ’s a couple days ago. Peonies are my absolute favorite flower! They’re huge and complex and smell delicious. I took some pictures to share. Embrace the day and make it count.

My soap research has begun! This past weekend I attended a 2-day intense coarse on soapmaking at The Nova Studio in Pt. Richmond. Many actually flew in from other areas to take Lori’s class. I met so many wonderful people! It was the most fun that I’ve had in a long time. Lori Nova, our soap expert and teacher, posted a picture of the class. Click on the picture to view it bigger.

Sorry in advance to everyone I will be probing for information to see what you like best in a bar of soap. I’ve been researching and reading up on ingredients and methods and scents, etc., but most of all what people want. Thank you to those who have already helped so much by giving me their opinions, soap samples to try and for just being supportive.

It’s not as hard to make soap as I thought, but there are many ways to make it depending on what outcome you  need. We made both cold process and hot process soap in the class. Both are somewhat similar but hot process has an extra step that speeds up the set up time and allows you to use the soap safely much sooner.

I’m picking up my final supplies this weekend and plan to make my FIRST batch early next week! Stay tuned. I’m going to document and blog the whole process.

In the words of Molly Shannon as she’s kicking her leg in the air, ” I love it, love it, love it!”

[soap bars in above picture created by The Nova Studio, half-used by me and my hubbie]