I went to a craft show this weekend -- it was mostly crap crafts. I don't get this whole retro housewife/crafty thing where the girls in their cat glasses and revamped 50's dresses can think making crappy, pointless crafts has anything to do with housewifery. For example, felt stuffed animals? And crocheted yarn flower brooches? A real housewife wouldn't pay for that -- she would pay for something that is functional AND kitschy (because she is frugal). These kids these days just don't get that. I ended up buying some soap and bath products.
I am a real fan of handmade soap with all natural ingredients. I can't tell you how much my acne has cleared up since I switched to handmade soaps. DH's skin has improved drastically too! I think the quitting smoking has had an effect as well -- but we have done that before it wasn't this dramatic.
I am thinking I want to learn how to make my own soap now.
Contacts! I can see three-D now. It's awesome. I might even wear some make up again -- since I am firm believer that most eye make up looks lame with glasses.
Read a lot -- the sunday paper and the CS Friedman book, I have a bit of a backlog still and I have to remind myself that I really shouldn't order any more books until I am done with it. But it's hard not too....maybe what I should say is "I can read more book at once just not more than one of the same genre..."
Played a lot of Champions of Norath: Call to Arms.
Made a crabmeat (fake) carribean salad. It was an "exotic, refreshingly light salad."
Watched Battlestar and the 4400.
posted by hadjare @ 10:49 AM
7 Comments:
I'm with you on the craft show crap. I don't go to craft shows for that very reason. However, felt stuffed animals. What do you mean by that? Like acrylic felt purchased at Michaels, then sewn into a stuffed animal? Or something knitted of wool then felted? Because the wool variety are darling and an excellent baby gift (IMO)
I wish I knew you wanted to learn to make soap before we moved because I could have taught you! Its a lot of fun, but its expensive to start. Mostly because most ingredients are not readily available locally so you have the additional cost of shipping. I hear there is a place up in Neenah or Menasha that sells soaping supplies though, so that may be worth checking out!
Like acrylic felt bought at Michaels and sewn into stuffed animals.
I LIKE going to craft shows -- but really why can't there be more long lasting, functional crafts? I mean, that is the point of craft -- in the orginal sense. Art is supposed to be the kitchy throw away, you don't really need, kind of stuff. ;)
And I didn't know you knew how to make soap! When did you learn?
For some great natural soaps/bath products, visit this site:
http://www.5thelement.com/
I swear by her shampoo soaps, and have never been disappointed with any of the products.
Also, the cedarwood/lemongrass soap i picked up saturday is very nice :)
Oops - the 5thelement website was from me :)
Heather
I learned a few years ago, all by myself by just reading a lot of stuff on the net.
Some hints if you try. You do not need a stick blender by any means, HOWEVER, having one means not necessarily standing next to a cooking pot for four hours stirring stirring stirring.
You can make soap with plain ol olive oil (I bought a super cheap huge can of olive oil at woodmans that worked great) It just takes a little longer to cure.
There are some great soapmaking websites, and even ebay usually has a good variety of soaping supplies for less than retail. You just need to poke around.
Like I said, I wish I knew! When we were moving and we were selling and freecycling so much stuff, I sold a huge rubbermaid bin of soaping supplies (about 300 dollars worth of accumulated stuff) for 75.00 to another soaper I knew in town.
I like the new craft fad. Some of the stuff is really poor quality, but it's cool to see new ideas, and then try to make them yourself. heh. That's pretty much what we did at that huge retro craft fair in Chicago. There were some genuinely good crafters though, like the lady that made cool blown glass necklaces that I got Tiara for her birthday.
If it's a really original idea, I'll buy it, but if it's just a crocheted flower forget it. I don't get those homemade felt dolls though. They aren't even cute usually and look like something a 3rd grader could make.
As for soap - http://www.teachsoap.com/swirlsoap.html
I've been wanting to try that for awhile now. I couldn't find lye around here though.
I second Heather on the 5th element website for natural goodies, and in fact I found out about them through her LJ profile. You can get quite a bundle of good things for under $20. The only product I've been dsappointed in was the "Mirror, Mirror" complexion soap. It was really too harsh for sensitive skin, and I ended up throwing it out.
Laura, if you remember me talking about the "Sleeping Time" herb tea that works like a potion for me, it's from 5th Element.
--SECP
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