My favorite things

As the year draws to a close, we're finally getting a breather. Today we're off for a week. Up to Rochester to see my family. A cousins get together that occurs each year on New Year's Day. Then on to Parry Sound, Ontario to see Pentti's 94 year old mom. It's a family time and a respite from the soapmaking world.

I've been making soap, lots of it for the past 2 weeks, stocking up for the new year ahead. As I worked, I was thinking about some of my favorite soapmaking things!

My soapmaking bucket (the white one...with no handle) Every time I pour soap from the orange bucket, the handle flips over and I end up pouring soap all over the handle!


My extra long rubber scraper/mixer, a gift from my friends at Chivas Goat Milk Skin Care
Just like my other heat resistant red handled scraper...but longer! No more getting lost in the bucket!

My nitrile, chemical-resistant gloves from a company called Certified Lye. (the blue ones) I love these and they last forever.

Unlike the grocery store gloves (ie. the yellow ones) that get holes or slits in them. ( I've been through so many pairs) or the disposable gloves (not a fan of anything disposable)


Just a reminder that sometimes its the little things that make us the happiest!

So, Happy New Year! Hoping for the best for all of you in the year ahead.

We're back...

rested and relaxed and almost caught up on orders. Just one more to go and we'll be done.

So if you ordered while we were away...it's comin' to ya!

Wish I was caught up on soap making...

Creekside is on Vacation

We're out of town for a few days. If you want to place an order you can do so on the website and we'll begin shipping again on Nov. 14.

Orders will be filled in the order received.

Thanks for your patience!

Susan and Pentti

I've had a little help

Jessica was just here for 3 weeks from Atlanta to visit and to help me in the soap workshop.

She lined soap molds, packaged candles, wrapped soap, kept track of inventory. She also decided that my work space needed some organization.

She's a great organizer. (read that: what's this?? when was the last time you used it??)

And, she didn't like the way we've been storing our soap wrapping paper.

We've always cut the big sheets into strips that fit the paper cutter.

Then we store those strips in a cardboard box with dividers until we're ready to cut bar size pieces on the cutter. It's worked for me for the last 6 years or so.

I guess it was a little messy and I was always flipping through to see how much paper was left of each king. Jess had Pentti make extra shelves for the books shelf....and voila!

And there's the paper cutter right on top! How convenient.

Boy, could I use a full time assistant like Jess!

Bad news soapmakers

The price of lumber is skyrocketing like everything else. (More than 30% in the past month!)

If you use rose geranium essential oil in your soap, you'll know what happened to that, too!

We had to stop making that soap (one of our best sellers) When the price went from $130/lb to $250/lb....we just couldn't cover the increase....or charge that much for the soap!

So....we have to raise the price of our soap dishes.

The price increase has gone to the webmaster. It will be effective as soon as it goes up.

Devastation

This is the beautiful Stoneledge Farm in the Hudson Valley of New York State where our CSA vegetables are grown.

This is what is looks like today after Hurricane Irene was finished with us up here in the Northeast.

10 to 14 inches of rain...the National Guard called in...severe flooding. What a shame.

The summer garden

Sarah was up here on Tuesday for a tiny motor vehicle glitch.

After a quick trip to the DMV....we had a lovely lunch in Mahopac at the Freight House Cafe.
Delicious homemade, healthy food.

Back home, she made and photographed flower arrangements all afternoon. Then cooked a luscious dinner of lamb sausage, raita, and grilled zucchini.

My guests last night thought my porch looked like a flower shop. She brought some flowers with her from the shop, but lots were just cut from my wild garden. The extras she brought from the shop, and left here, looked like an arrangement as it was. So, I put it on my front steps!