Soapylove a la Jelly Pong Pong!

Today I checked to see if a private label project I did with Jelly Pong Pong was up yet on their site, and was so excited to see this beautiful photo on their home page! Jelly Pong Pong is a cool cosmetics brand based in the UK and will be selling these styles, labeled with their brand and style names, on their site and on Asos.com (search "soap" to find them quickly). If you're in Europe, be sure to get your stocking stuffers there! :)

Althea has arrived!

I'm finally back and ready to join the world again after giving birth to Althea last Tuesday. I was able to deliver naturally (my son was C-section) and everything went great.

I woke up at 4:30 am Tuesday morning with slight cramping, like menstrual cramps, and thought "uh-oh." Sure enough, a few hours later, I got another one. They continued through the morning, so Jim and I quickly set up the co-sleeper, cleaned up our room, and packed bags for everyone, including an overnight bag for our son who would stay with my mom.

We went to her house and hung out until 3:30 when I finally got a seriously huge, painful contraction. My doctor had very specific requirements about when I could go to the hospital, so my husband and I paced our condo while the cramping got stronger and more frequent. I went to the restroom and was sure I broke my water, so we went right to the hospital.

I was in so much pain, but little did I know how bad it would get! I checked in and upon examination, the nurse said I was already at 7cm, which was awesome news. Things were going much more quickly than I imagined. They brought me right up to the delivery room.

I think it was about 5:30 by then and I was in howling mode. I tried breathing, going to my happy place, walking, sitting, the bouncy ball, cursing, but the contractions were so intense I couldn't imagine going hours and hours like that. Despite my goal to avoid pain meds, by 6:45 I requested an epidural.

Even though an epidural was my biggest fear of the birthing situation, I focused on rewarding myself with Ben and Jerry's ice cream (and which flavor I would pick) while the doctor did his thing. It wasn't all that bad, and of course the discomfort paled in comparison to contractions, so that helped me be brave.

Soon the pain was gone and the contractions were merely a squiggly line on a paper print out. My in laws came in to chat and every once in a while my mother in law would say "oh, this one looks like a big one!" as she read the monitor. It's funny to think I'd be screaming if I didn't have the pain meds.

At about 9:00 the doctor said it was time for me to push. My in laws left and my husband got in position, holding my thigh while the nurse held the other. I pushed and pushed and pushed for 1 1/2 hours. The nurse brought over a large mirror so I could see what was going on, which was pretty fascinating and helped me see the "fruits of my labor." (Ha ha! How often can I use that cliche so well?!) Seeing the crown of her head and a peek of her little black mohawk was so cool.

At 10:18, with a final big push, her head slipped out and the doctor eased out the rest of her body. I held my baby and cried tears of joy, being so grateful for a healthy baby girl (and pain meds, I must add)!

One week later, we're all home and getting adjusted to life as a larger family. Nursing and helping a toddler adjust to a new baby sister is a lot to manage, but it's amazing how soon you can't imagine living life without someone who just arrived!

A Rainbow of Happy

Check out this great photo taken by Erin, who is my amazing soapy assistant! She is cranking out hundreds of soaps for a large Australian order. Thanks so much, Erin!!

7 Days and Counting

Today marks 7 days from my due date! I get up every 3 hours all night long to visit the bathroom (I just have to pee but it feels like my whole torso is going to explode) and every project I try to do takes me 10 times longer than I think it will. Timing with my business could not be better, since my wholesale accounts have already ordered their holiday soaps and I'm just making soaps to sell on Etsy. I LOVE selling my little special projects but will be closing shop very soon. I just need to focus on getting my house set up and being ready for the baby. Knowing me, I'll probably re-open in a month, but maybe I won't until January.

Anyway, sorry my posts have been a bit sporadic, but it's amazing how scattered my mind has been. I'll probably be listing my last 2 special soap projects today if I can find my camera battery charger: a wood grain bar and some nordic bird soaps. Stay tuned! :)

Stick It To The Man!

Today is Blog Action Day! People all over the internet will be posting about environmental issues. Consciousness is a very good thing!

So I just wanted to let you know about a way that we can avoid using petroleum gas. If you own a diesel car or truck, you can use biodiesel instead of diesel gasoline. Biodiesel is made from vegetables (the station near us sells biodiesel made of 100% soybeans). My husband has a diesel VW Jetta and buys biodiesel for it. He also has a Greasecar Kit in the trunk, which is a secondary gas tank that burns used veggie oil. His car gets 45 mpg, which is better than most hybrids!

In California, you can only buy used diesel cars right now, but as of January 2008, you can get new ones again.

If you'd like to find a gas station near you that sells biodiesel, check out this map.
If you'd like to learn more about greasecar kids, check out the Greasecar site.

Believe us, it feels GREAT not to buy any petroleum gas!! It's a very economical and effective way to Stick It To The Man!

Soapylove Craft Lab Tutorials, Now Ready Online!

As some of you may have read a few posts ago, I am going to be on Craft Lab next month demonstrating how to make a few soap projects. Today I found, through Statcounter, some hits coming from the DIY site. It turns out that they have posted the projects and tutorials on their site so you don't have to wait for the episode to air to learn some fun new techniques! They have:
Martini Mix Soap Dice (pictured)
A cute Star Bar which is fun and easy
And the Rainbow Sherbert Soapsicle which is a bit tricky but worth a shot!

Check it out and happy soaping! :)

The Ultimate Glycerin Soap Cliche

One of the old stand by's in glycerin soap making is the "toy in soap" concept. Usually it's a plastic bug or whatever in the middle of a clear or tinted bar of soap. The idea is that the kid will want to wash his/her hands to get the toy in the middle.

It's a great idea and totally unique to glycerin soap making, but it's just been done a million times and I really try to be original when I can, so until now I have avoided this design completely.

I figured if I'm going to do it, I need the toy to be a part of the design. Enter the Martian Soaps! I have these cool UFO soap molds and found the perfect little martian toys to put inside, so yesterday I finally made what I've had in my head for over a year. They came out cute, I think! I made 4 and they're all sold, so I guess people like them. If I get some more time, I'll make more.

My husband had a great idea for a toy-in-soap idea, too: a monster mold with things in his stomach you can see like brains or bugs or guts. I love that!

Welcome to the Land of Milk and Honey

Yesterday was my first official day of maternity leave and I'm so excited! I was inspired by the freedom I am feeling and made these "Heavenly Soap Bars." They're a classic example of me going overboard on handcut elements, but they capture how I'm feeling pretty well! Plus they're scented with a new fragrance called "Milk and Honey" that my husband can attest to actually smelling like honey (he's really tough, too!). I have 2 left right now, and they're already gift boxed, so snap 'em up! :)

My due date is Oct. 27, but I have a feeling I'll be early. So I'm madly cleaning and organizing the house trying to get ready. I'll also be taking naps whenever the urge hits me, since that's the reason I split work early anyway. Being exhausted and stuck behind a desk is the worst combination!!

Yesterday was really nice spending more time with Sequoia (my 2 year old) and getting some things done during his nap. I'm going to finish packing orders and also make some more soaps that I've been wanting to try for a long time (hint: my first stab at a toy-in-a-soap).

If you want anything for Christmas gifts from my Etsy shop, I strongly recommend getting them now since I have no idea what I'll be doing after the baby arrives!

Baby Shower Time!

This weekend my mom, sister, and sister-in-law hosted a really nice baby shower for me and my baby (due in a few weeks). It was so nice! I got lots of wonderful gifts, and some much needed hand-me-downs from my nieces. Although my house is in shambles and I have not carved out a space for the co-sleeper yet, I'm feeling much more prepared.

This is my last week at work, so the next couple of weeks will be dedicated to "nesting." I can't wait to get our house clean and organized!!

Thanks to my sister Cheryl for this sweet picture of my nieces Natalie and Allison, and nephew Nicholas, helping me open gifts.