from there to here

I just realized that I haven't written a blog post since January!  Wow!  Where have I been?  I've been right here hardly making soap or anything.  I think I got obsessed with making bath fizzes, lotions and then that went away.  It didn't help that we had to put our dog to sleep in November.  I'm a huge dog lover and it was sad to say goodbye to Milla.  My husband and I have been married 18 years and we pretty much had two dogs and then one dog the whole time.  Throw in winter and minimal sunshine and it just didn't make for a fun half of the year.  Spring is here, which means sun and warmer weather.  Yay!

This break from soap making gave me some time to actually use my soaps almost as if I didn't make them.  It was kind of fun to just grab a bar of soap without thinking about what was in it and use it.  I realized I prefer softer and creamier soaps.  I knew that and yet I didn't know that.  I was using a harder bar of soap and then I grabbed one of my palm free soaps and loved it.  I dug out the recipe and saw all of the lovely oils in it (avocado, shea butter, and cocoa butter) and thought that I really need to make this one again.  Sure, I use it up a little faster than a harder bar of soap, but the creaminess and lather really make up for it.  It's luxurious.  I feel motivated again to make more.  I think I might go back to simple soaps.  In fact, I did make a simple soap scented with Chamomile from Natures Garden and I really enjoyed making it.  This was the harder soap I made and while I enjoy it, I would make it using my palm free recipe next.  I just wish I had more of this fragrance oil!

So what else have I been doing with my life?  I had the urge to start sewing again.  This time I decided to make skirts out of old shirts.  It's amazing the tutorials you can find on the internet!  This one was made out of my husband's old polo shirt and a t-shirt of mine that I didn't like anymore.

The second one was from a simple black t-shirt and an old white t-shirt of mine.  I love making new out of old!  Plus, I didn't realize how comfortable skirts were for summer!  I made this one with more of an A-line shape to it with less gathering at the waste.  My next goal is making more of a yoga style skirt.  I may just have to buy a pattern for that however.  I just hope I don't need to use a serger, because I don't have one!

What else have I been up to?  Oh yes, hubs and I have started to go bikepacking.  That's where you throw all of your camping gear on your bike and go exploring!  I love it.  It's a two wheel adventure!  We can go places that would take too long to backpack to.

Sometimes we call them gravel grinders because we're suffering on the gravel.  But then a beautiful view comes into focus and it makes it worth it.

That's about it for now.  Happy soap making and happy adventures!