tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43075673653664082332024-02-01T23:43:12.869-05:00Morgan Street Handmade SoapsMy blog 'that used to be' about my daily soap making adventures. Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-68400950504838707612018-05-29T17:31:00.003-04:002018-05-29T17:31:32.708-04:00Have you ever...been to Brighton?<br />
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When I first returned to the UK I visited Brighton for the first time in eons. I found it quite strange that people were laying out on what at first glance appeared to be sand but was actually 'rocks'. Brighton has NO sand. At All! it's all rocks and pebbles. What a strange bunch the English are, I thought to myself, yet here I am 7 years later laying on the rocks at Brighton 'Beach'. I guess I'm one of the funny bunch now :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoX3wByn4_uJsijYkUeotQ3uoxM9372r6IoG284oWVNGEjlqx0TcdCbIcfE_qbBkCLdcN2F6ks_04dX6n6wGWaZNi-C3cONYYF82tCeVwuYbAXorkwMrduy0l3ZEXa_7oOuaLcoGJqNU/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoX3wByn4_uJsijYkUeotQ3uoxM9372r6IoG284oWVNGEjlqx0TcdCbIcfE_qbBkCLdcN2F6ks_04dX6n6wGWaZNi-C3cONYYF82tCeVwuYbAXorkwMrduy0l3ZEXa_7oOuaLcoGJqNU/s320/IMG_1533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-13249248884155014032018-05-20T10:39:00.005-04:002018-05-20T10:39:49.994-04:00WHAT - twice in 1 week?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6co3h0_TCl5xgAfTg6EDQ8eK2rF4XRbWVPtrsLjL5jkpRD0Zk8_eApeX6cHEBknwU7e1Z84mn4qb2AwRxGDV3gFe2PhyphenhyphenUTa5qNwuUrByrMJ6j9x-P-sgxXR9b55-TbhRmhKS4CqTnTc0/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6co3h0_TCl5xgAfTg6EDQ8eK2rF4XRbWVPtrsLjL5jkpRD0Zk8_eApeX6cHEBknwU7e1Z84mn4qb2AwRxGDV3gFe2PhyphenhyphenUTa5qNwuUrByrMJ6j9x-P-sgxXR9b55-TbhRmhKS4CqTnTc0/s320/IMG_1345.JPG" width="320" /></a>So yesterday the Royal Wedding was all over the television, radio and newspapers.<br />
We coudn't get away from it if we tried. Personally, I wasn't trying to get away from it even though I'm no royalist, I still wanted to watch the wedding.<br />
Heck, at one point I even considered going to Windsor so I could stand and wave my union jack at the happy couple as they rode through the streets. I changed my mind when I realized it would have been taking this thing a step too far.<br />
Besides, I had other plans for the day anyway.<br />
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So I ended up watching it on TV like most of the rest of the world and I thought it was fantabulous to be honest. OK so the preacher man banging on about fire was a bit much (in my opinion), although looking at the guests faces (especially Kate's) told me I wasn't alone!<br />
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All told it was a great event and I am very happy for the young couple. Harry is a child after his mother's own heart, a rule bender, trail blazer, don't give a damn about what is 'expected'. Harry you get my vote!<br />
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<br />Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-48806952759802060372018-05-18T16:21:00.000-04:002018-05-18T16:21:35.304-04:00Well Hello There...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkNKf6u20BeE-P4Iw17IpF8fhZtJ1DfAceAm_dmHz2P3SR9QfDAX1k8i1B9fJg4sI2_20YuHsfZ-WAzDT3rxa7spy6vgeJQnBa2H2wZFqVZQ59ftCgPqe1ZsCss38g-8n2UdEz8A76lU/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkNKf6u20BeE-P4Iw17IpF8fhZtJ1DfAceAm_dmHz2P3SR9QfDAX1k8i1B9fJg4sI2_20YuHsfZ-WAzDT3rxa7spy6vgeJQnBa2H2wZFqVZQ59ftCgPqe1ZsCss38g-8n2UdEz8A76lU/s320/IMG_1341.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Calling!</td></tr>
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Look who remembered she once had a blog that she loved updating?<br />
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I know I know, flog me with a fistful of wet noodles - I deserve it.<br />
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It's been a looong time but I've missed writing. After being in the UK for almost 7 years, I struggle to remember one year from the next but had I been blogging it would have all been here in black and white. Le sigh......lesson learned I guess.<br />
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My knuckles are cracked and ready to pound the keyboard. I shall tell you about any and everything. Exciting or boring you're going to read all about it. These 7 years have gone by so quickly and so much has changed during that time I don't even know where to start but start I will and that's a promise. Try to stay awake, K?Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-9980150136016372962015-07-27T15:25:00.000-04:002015-07-27T15:34:20.255-04:00The Condensed VersionI know I left this blog high and dry and it really wasn't intentional but I got caught up in my new life here in London. I really did. Not that I've been rushed off my feet or anything, quite the opposite to be honest. I've never in my life had more time on my hands to do absolutely nothing, and trust me when I tell you, that's exactly what I've been doing.....absolutely nothing, and while it's been a wonderful change from my past life, I've now become bored. Hence my return to this here platform. Prior to my departure from Uncle Sam's land, I did promise to write about my experiences in this country which I did (in my head). For those of you who are mind readers you know exactly what's been going on, for those who aren't, I shall give you the condensed version as best I can, but you really should learn how to read my mind to save us all some time going forward.<br />
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So I moved back to the UK in August of 2011. I threw caution to the wind. Took a massive chance. No job, no home, no prospects, no nothing! When I left CT I left the vast majority of belongings behind, as they say, I arrived with the just the clothes on my back and a dream to be happy.<br />
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My little girl and I lived with my best friend for 3 months until we moved out and into our own place. Because I had no job at the time I had to pay 6 months rent in advance. Lord knows it was leap of faith, but as luck would have it within a month I was offered a contract position that would start immediately after Xmas 2011. I started a job and managed to stay there for 18 months before landing a permanent position with the company I'm with now (one of the largest construction companies in the UK). You may not know but my background is in construction. It has been a huge change for us. We have moved from a pretty huge 4 bedroom house in the US to a teeny tiny 2 bedroom flat here in London with zero storage (I can't even buy multipacks of bathroom tissue as there's no where to store it). We live a very basic existence in comparison to where we've come from but guess what? we love it! There's something liberating about living on less and with less. We have learned a lot and have realised there is far more to life than having 'things' and that happiness can be found in the simplest of forms. Yes we are both very very happy so it's been a successful journey in my books.<br />
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There is just one thing missing and that is soap. I miss my soapy existence. I need a kick up the arse. Somebody, anybody? PLEASE?<br />
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<br />Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-58055178717862488092015-07-26T16:16:00.002-04:002015-07-26T16:16:29.458-04:00WOW - this feels weirdI don't even remember how to work this blogging thing anymore. It's been almost 4 years since I left the US and possibly even longer since I last blogged. <br />
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A few days ago I received an email from an individual who had a comment on one of my posts which took me totally by surprise because it hadn't even dawned on me that people might still be reading the blog. So, after much stress (and cussing) I managed to retrieve my password to this here site last night and here I am. It's good to be here (if anyone's out there listening).<br />
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Now, what to write about?Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-86670311008563874302011-02-05T15:47:00.002-05:002011-02-05T15:55:08.342-05:00Lard Soap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0usaYGxu6NamkIH91cnCZ2TFDBu420lmfT03wPduNCCM1q7CljRHd5S09Ea7wMCwsEaMTbQ4FPENKTummKuBnEDOHo8HKHLz7C2gQjKVRBazssMr1Cm4cVdwitmkRxKwdlQojy5j8CA/s1600/20101120-IMG_7732.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0usaYGxu6NamkIH91cnCZ2TFDBu420lmfT03wPduNCCM1q7CljRHd5S09Ea7wMCwsEaMTbQ4FPENKTummKuBnEDOHo8HKHLz7C2gQjKVRBazssMr1Cm4cVdwitmkRxKwdlQojy5j8CA/s320/20101120-IMG_7732.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570311855831101266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Years ago when I first started making soap I made a batch with lard and as I recall it turned out really lovely. I don't even remember the reason why I didn't do it again at the time but as years wore on it sort of became unfashionable to use lard for soapmaking.<br /><br />Recently I get a penchant to do it again and decided I'd do a 100% lard soap for utility purposes. It came out fantastic. I started using it for all kinds of things around the house. Washing dishes, cleaning, laundry, etc. It's the hardest and whitest bar of soap I've ever produced. I made it with zero superfat and assumed it would be kinda harsh on the skin but to my surprise it's not. It cleans like a charm and rinses off easily.<br /><br />This batch I added a little orange essential oil for interest and I think it worked out well.Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-51840963745015210172010-11-14T15:04:00.002-05:002010-11-14T15:08:31.357-05:00Latest Batches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPlkmZ9Kglru_aihr0H5mXjk1ENEMJcuInFQrW434g9zJZXnUkP34T5nu_mwkSxdRXSnWC-7dV6c-SNAaHHoo1aRvkoZcZC0XFrHJpqa0Mg_Bebk4VSDPKequjenpOv994SukYMg_pu8/s1600/20101114-P1040277.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPlkmZ9Kglru_aihr0H5mXjk1ENEMJcuInFQrW434g9zJZXnUkP34T5nu_mwkSxdRXSnWC-7dV6c-SNAaHHoo1aRvkoZcZC0XFrHJpqa0Mg_Bebk4VSDPKequjenpOv994SukYMg_pu8/s320/20101114-P1040277.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539499715267440962" border="0" /></a><br />I finally got off my duff and made some soap. Nothing too exciting, just 3 batches that I've made in the past.<br /><br />First batch is green tea. I love how this one has a soft delicate scent. I haven't made this one in a long while (maybe a year or more)<br /><br />2nd batch is rose. Here I combined 3 different rose fragrances because I thought it would make it a bit more interesting instead of just a straight up boring rose scent. I like it.<br /><br />3rd batch is my beloved almond. This one was always popular but again I stopped making it. It's for all those die-hard jergens lotion scent lovers.Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-21439450772411146312010-10-28T18:52:00.002-04:002010-10-28T19:00:41.015-04:00Did I ever tell you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfqa7_DG7P5J6SGOKWcCtoQ076ISZIM8JkqemAKb9TyshLmQixP83H5lv2519ntgLTEWBN7_S4N8B064h5BfIKjlMViX_40EIuSNwjefWOTb0Qu2Kf8O3Rryu3i_JarEo_sjqsVZGPt4/s1600/P1010418.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfqa7_DG7P5J6SGOKWcCtoQ076ISZIM8JkqemAKb9TyshLmQixP83H5lv2519ntgLTEWBN7_S4N8B064h5BfIKjlMViX_40EIuSNwjefWOTb0Qu2Kf8O3Rryu3i_JarEo_sjqsVZGPt4/s320/P1010418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533235625228729426" border="0" /></a><br />that in the midst of streamlining my product line (which to me should mean reducing not increasing), I retired quite a few of my lip balm flavors and (don't ask me how) I ended up adding a couple of new ones. I've always wanted to offer lip balm flavors that were a little "different", you know, not your typical every day flavors, so to that end, I decided to create a LAVENDER flavor cos I'm weird like that.<br /><br />When I made my first few as a test batch I was totally unprepared for their deliciousness (is that a word)?<br /><br />Here I used a lavender flavor oil and added a titch of a sugar flavor to sweeten it and make it more candylike.<br /><br />I must say it is truly divine and I'm not being biased - honest!Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-26574436884527024362010-10-26T02:15:00.003-04:002010-10-26T02:28:18.963-04:00Yet another change<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vIg6vFrqOaq4FCO1o1g1q3H0tpKojZdC_zLzIl9LMpSwLEstC7BGiwWACT8S7gcRX9haf18MSgbH-IdpADwCyBAd_g_j8q3O67dH7dCWHskZr4-t-J5-56aEeoB9uhyCEI4NP95MhmQ/s1600/20101022-IMG_7550.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vIg6vFrqOaq4FCO1o1g1q3H0tpKojZdC_zLzIl9LMpSwLEstC7BGiwWACT8S7gcRX9haf18MSgbH-IdpADwCyBAd_g_j8q3O67dH7dCWHskZr4-t-J5-56aEeoB9uhyCEI4NP95MhmQ/s320/20101022-IMG_7550.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532237155980721154" border="0" /></a><br />Don't know about you but I'm never 100% satisfied. This past weekend I had my first vending event in quite some time so I took the opportunity to purchase new bottles and jars and to create new labels for them. I've always loved the simplicity of black and white labels and I think the brown packaging makes everything look a little cleaner and more like my original vision. I'm still not there 100% with the labels but I think I'm pretty darned close.<br /><br />What do you reckon?Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-75453121799366612112010-10-22T20:33:00.008-04:002010-10-22T21:09:35.486-04:00Oh my, is it really October already?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCtN-eBo3UarbDG1xazB6FjrjkcsFil0-1R1OXjzXzMQwlObNk667WKIWYCEtbiAduaAclJpHRFtUgQCfdfiKcvo8DFrANQyhNDAB6d8HJ9L-mCuydObXXDOf8hTraYpdz7nFJhhXSeg/s1600/P1010643.JPG"><br /></a>and have I really been missing since May? So yes, I did close my shop so I could...ahem...streamline things. By that I mean, I was supposed to re-open with a more cohesive product line. Great idea right? Well it would have been had I followed through.<br /><br />So what went wrong?<br /><br />This is what went wrong. I closed my shop, the orders stopped and I took a sigh of relief. I really long sigh. So long that I couldn't even bring myself to stop enjoying all the new found free time I suddenly had, the new knitting projects, the early to bed nights and the morning lay ins. We won't even mention the days spent reading the week end New York Times or stacks of magazines that I had never gotten to, or books that I'd had for years but never read or the camera I'd had for years but never figure out how to use. So you get the picture I hope. To say it was a lovely time would be putting it very mildly.<br /><br />Several books and a couple trips later, here I am. Ready to rock and roll again. It'll be interesting to see the direction my shop takes in the future considering the 2 main scents that I was building my "look" around got discontinued (2 separate suppliers btw) which I must say has been a major blow and sort of knock my plans off kilter. One must brush oneself off and carry on right?<br /><br />Anyway, here are some pics of random ish from this summer.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08EJ-qcPC_sgd4fXWhhKcpX68BZLdF_w1gTxzR2o6yHAaH8L6lbjjDNkEgFjMYaOTj-XeOqAJCSqIi4DKZR6IMU8jMFj3usq86QH8qCibBtQ5Ynd9dOCoBLlppyCZpM55PZkyl-NnCQE/s1600/Lighthouse.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08EJ-qcPC_sgd4fXWhhKcpX68BZLdF_w1gTxzR2o6yHAaH8L6lbjjDNkEgFjMYaOTj-XeOqAJCSqIi4DKZR6IMU8jMFj3usq86QH8qCibBtQ5Ynd9dOCoBLlppyCZpM55PZkyl-NnCQE/s320/Lighthouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531039267709490610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6SxSXy7SIySwJCkzxtEC8OhjJxvXxfC-KMmT0KMnE3SHQH_L2XtQ3y2uW78ZU40wlHy_mj84oeBVoh1nHlIXjNRUenF5EBkijIuhpyu-afVMUxMfhzxcyZj2c85leoix1riIUJ8i6Hw/s1600/Morgan.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6SxSXy7SIySwJCkzxtEC8OhjJxvXxfC-KMmT0KMnE3SHQH_L2XtQ3y2uW78ZU40wlHy_mj84oeBVoh1nHlIXjNRUenF5EBkijIuhpyu-afVMUxMfhzxcyZj2c85leoix1riIUJ8i6Hw/s320/Morgan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531039682964429714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3SvodD5ZuWfVOSGH28wNDr_5U79jj51M_HYi8BKkRIVhM6j81OeyhU0iNAJDBR8VKmHKvOmd-nsPc6isze6V8NL49GjlKYuoQhwZAphuenRRjOyNgNqeX2MA10XFpAyk-sYHKaQCFwg/s1600/Lopsta.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3SvodD5ZuWfVOSGH28wNDr_5U79jj51M_HYi8BKkRIVhM6j81OeyhU0iNAJDBR8VKmHKvOmd-nsPc6isze6V8NL49GjlKYuoQhwZAphuenRRjOyNgNqeX2MA10XFpAyk-sYHKaQCFwg/s320/Lopsta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531039927109649506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dJW5WRY7dMpoglJQuDT5gV0HV0OXIFCIL6u-rlM50B5LLOW2oeKIfMHUB1Cd8wTW1k8cf-tXjGqiagj1-sJoFISzYY3HLFI4EGFxYLWkuwk2quTN4tQMUJug6eBbPj-JjOCeER6TX4U/s1600/P1010747.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dJW5WRY7dMpoglJQuDT5gV0HV0OXIFCIL6u-rlM50B5LLOW2oeKIfMHUB1Cd8wTW1k8cf-tXjGqiagj1-sJoFISzYY3HLFI4EGFxYLWkuwk2quTN4tQMUJug6eBbPj-JjOCeER6TX4U/s320/P1010747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531040378692283490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCtN-eBo3UarbDG1xazB6FjrjkcsFil0-1R1OXjzXzMQwlObNk667WKIWYCEtbiAduaAclJpHRFtUgQCfdfiKcvo8DFrANQyhNDAB6d8HJ9L-mCuydObXXDOf8hTraYpdz7nFJhhXSeg/s1600/P1010643.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCtN-eBo3UarbDG1xazB6FjrjkcsFil0-1R1OXjzXzMQwlObNk667WKIWYCEtbiAduaAclJpHRFtUgQCfdfiKcvo8DFrANQyhNDAB6d8HJ9L-mCuydObXXDOf8hTraYpdz7nFJhhXSeg/s320/P1010643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531042231052850466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gmJ6kFQo2rKcMflUdN2xZUt2eILqoTTKyLEcvpCyf85P87LPr86ooQOvgfV7F8q3OLOj1JqSzfpiJT7rw0jAHl8v6kuaryYdLk-qO_H43xWUFclEeelH5nThHI2EBMCKK23sab16vVA/s1600/P1010900.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gmJ6kFQo2rKcMflUdN2xZUt2eILqoTTKyLEcvpCyf85P87LPr86ooQOvgfV7F8q3OLOj1JqSzfpiJT7rw0jAHl8v6kuaryYdLk-qO_H43xWUFclEeelH5nThHI2EBMCKK23sab16vVA/s320/P1010900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531041171061682802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Feels good to be blogging again :)<br /></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-38282863289528650502010-05-29T23:36:00.002-04:002010-05-29T23:40:09.640-04:00What's in a color anyways<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUglbwQ3VHtVg4lyOIOCjdxlQwqHgxt0o0FwV-S7QjzC5zwx9HC1D7_94xdVlObwXoYNNGCRUMWNV_WF0wo78csE-Xcd3sy3_Oi9vWLsufZuqJBLtj9wi12AIgLrcWo0LsHFzlX-ag280/s1600/IMG_6741-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUglbwQ3VHtVg4lyOIOCjdxlQwqHgxt0o0FwV-S7QjzC5zwx9HC1D7_94xdVlObwXoYNNGCRUMWNV_WF0wo78csE-Xcd3sy3_Oi9vWLsufZuqJBLtj9wi12AIgLrcWo0LsHFzlX-ag280/s400/IMG_6741-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476902695819421474" border="0" /></a><br />Look how hideous.........was going for a light purple since I'm a bit heavy handed in the color department I went real light. Lo & behold we have GREY soap. Grey like wet cement, cold concrete, gunmetal, a dirty pigeon but nothing like the lavender it's supposed to be. Maybe I'll describe it as off white. Reckon it'll fly?Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-11368939849876116632010-05-15T21:18:00.000-04:002010-05-15T21:18:21.974-04:00Garden Party in a new suit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3tdp9wFvDMwFXpwZqztVHHAeirUYTbF7XdvrDJViSAEPRKgEx7-p4YuMe1acNf_qtiIbkWSTBvtCIvYDRJTzgzXqWrBIo6SYcVrcsJAW1zqxTcnsvDBBAgY6ODo4WfjNmrJS9XPpUTc/s1600/IMG_6460.JPG"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3tdp9wFvDMwFXpwZqztVHHAeirUYTbF7XdvrDJViSAEPRKgEx7-p4YuMe1acNf_qtiIbkWSTBvtCIvYDRJTzgzXqWrBIo6SYcVrcsJAW1zqxTcnsvDBBAgY6ODo4WfjNmrJS9XPpUTc/s400/IMG_6460.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Only 2 colors but still kinda wild looking. Didn't intend for this one to be so bright but I kinda like it. It's my old "Garden Party" scent combo but with a new suit. A bit mardi-gras'ish don't you think?<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-16485930328392872222010-05-13T22:43:00.002-04:002010-05-13T22:47:56.141-04:00ooh look<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbb3TChu1Ya3LpYGQao-2L1hbBAiWbCu-5_5WFQGJjczen3FlWNUwCWjAd-YbmVZl6pqf9nkmMi0L3B3OO09NEohjVINdb-TP8YAAZvnQDqRaQsLuWC1iR6uX5hPcsRP7iomxyWxUbbw/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbb3TChu1Ya3LpYGQao-2L1hbBAiWbCu-5_5WFQGJjczen3FlWNUwCWjAd-YbmVZl6pqf9nkmMi0L3B3OO09NEohjVINdb-TP8YAAZvnQDqRaQsLuWC1iR6uX5hPcsRP7iomxyWxUbbw/s400/IMG_6411.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>...I actually got off my duff and made soap!<br /><br />There comes a time when you just have to dive in and DO IT. I've been carrying around a notebook and jotting down every idea/thought I've had for my new line. This has been going on for quite a few weeks and it dawned on me a few days ago and writing all this stuff down is doing me no good if I don't actually DO any of it.<br /><br />So here's my first installment. They look a little rough right now as they haven't been cleaned up yet but still, they turned out EXACTLY the way I'd envisioned on paper but smells a little better. I wanted a look that was a bit unisex for this one since the scent is unisex. I also knew I wanted dark green because it has a rich lush forest scent. All in all, I'm happy. Just need to work on a good scent description and umm.....my photography skills too :)<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none; padding: 0px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 50% transparent;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-82932473130003800352010-04-27T18:54:00.000-04:002010-04-27T18:54:27.016-04:00Lilacs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoub-PWXVyF1YyKKo10lWkQpZArGw9EErfxqijCoLRTZ1PxG5kPcMHo_LcNHE-IB4pKUAGPgXorEE0lPqzIvyv8yGGw0-Edu4WPwzocDHW2SSOCHqKeJF4LjmPlo4McA5apOZyllFbZWM/s1600/IMG_5921+(2).JPG"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoub-PWXVyF1YyKKo10lWkQpZArGw9EErfxqijCoLRTZ1PxG5kPcMHo_LcNHE-IB4pKUAGPgXorEE0lPqzIvyv8yGGw0-Edu4WPwzocDHW2SSOCHqKeJF4LjmPlo4McA5apOZyllFbZWM/s320/IMG_5921+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a>Yes I know, I've been a bit preoccupied of late with this whole photography thing. I've had this camera for going on 2 years now and am just now getting around to learning how to use it properly. Anyhoo, I just got a new lens today so I've been playing, LOTS!<br /><br />Here's a picture of some lilacs my co-worker brought me yesterday. They smell delicious!<br /><br />Thats all, nothing more for me to add here.<br /><br />OK, in case you are wondering, yes I am working on the new product line......sort of!<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-87781852893998254952010-04-16T22:00:00.004-04:002010-04-16T22:21:55.107-04:00It's Definitely Spring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0wkxVKnEJb0qPeKl8jAsQUrTKaA64qrWa_FT0Q4FlM3fTFlMN9HbG5sgMIs63fCDAkyU9KDthNn-F2IYeFye5OOJC4SyrUyFwx5eiy1IPCxJ1_y7qfN4GywN4b00rOEi-bAv0zP97Ls/s1600/tomatoes.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0wkxVKnEJb0qPeKl8jAsQUrTKaA64qrWa_FT0Q4FlM3fTFlMN9HbG5sgMIs63fCDAkyU9KDthNn-F2IYeFye5OOJC4SyrUyFwx5eiy1IPCxJ1_y7qfN4GywN4b00rOEi-bAv0zP97Ls/s400/tomatoes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460925482403218754" border="0" /></a><br />Two years ago I started growing my own herbs and veggies. I'm new to the gardening lark so I knew nothing of what I was doing (actually still don't). At that time I just headed over to the local garden store, bought some little plants and shoved them in the ground. To my delight I had a bumper crop and felt like quite the farmer.<br /><br />Last year I decided to try my hand at planting seeds in a little incubator type box. Those worked out well also (except for the peppers) who decided not to make an appearance at all. Well they worked out well until we got all that rain. Regardless, I managed to succeed with my cukes and tomatoes and ended up with a TON of both. There were so many cukes I pickled several jars for my pickle loving kid and the rest I pureed and froze for use in my cucumber facial soap.<br /><br />This year I'm doing the seeds thing again. I've planted 2 types of cucumbers - regular English cucumbers and of course the pickling variety. Naturally I have plans for more face soap and tons of salad too.<br /><br />I also got some Black Krim tomatoes and some Habanero pepper seeds that I purchased from a fabulous Etsy seller <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/azuredandelion">AzureDandelion</a><br /><br />I'm quite looking forward to putting these in the ground soon!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eXc-egTCoNxBTLTkr22XMu7bGEWMdvSc2WPisu_Yjby8lLc7bDbdqbwEnqSFUBB3TIo9keaspLz38_fiPUz4Mfvm1-U05CcXPP7rri4iimAMJlTgBYgSv-lHXp4X1v36HEAARjOEZVU/s1600/pickles.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eXc-egTCoNxBTLTkr22XMu7bGEWMdvSc2WPisu_Yjby8lLc7bDbdqbwEnqSFUBB3TIo9keaspLz38_fiPUz4Mfvm1-U05CcXPP7rri4iimAMJlTgBYgSv-lHXp4X1v36HEAARjOEZVU/s400/pickles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460925816626456818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-13819910248037033562010-04-01T22:02:00.003-04:002010-04-01T22:27:08.924-04:00Color Me Crazy...but I've been mulling something over for the past few weeks and although it sounds insane and may even BE insane I feel it's something I need to do.<br /><br />I'm thinking about closing my Etsy store. Not forever, just temporarily. How temporary? I don't know yet. Depends on how long it takes me to wipe the slate, gather my thoughts and put them in motion.<br /><br />Why? I've been wanting to streamline my products for a while and currently, between trying to give customers what they want, making what I like & making what I think fits, I feel my shop has lost it's focus. It looks & feels scattered (like my brain).<br /><br />I'm thinking I'll take a few steps back, take a good look and then roll my sleeves up and dive back in when I know what I'm looking at and have a clear vision of where I'd like to be going.<br /><br />As I'm writing this blog post I'm realizing that this is something I'm definitely going to do. <br /><br />I can't help but think I may feel a bit relieved to be freed from my Etsy obligations, after being there for over 2 years, but we'll see!<br /><br />Thanks for listening :-)Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-26060490226826574142010-03-14T18:01:00.005-04:002010-03-14T18:06:58.084-04:00Felt like cake.....so I made cake. Although that was a couple months ago and it only took me this long to reveal them. I'm really working on my procrastination issues here so see with me will you?<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Raspberry<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iY7jOGwcEbiSVGq7XdfZK0EOO_4fGDQ9ZwioiR5G2TAtRuVsS29KrcLIWx2Pe6Do6bS4qVT-ip8ouHWcI8oT07Qmfk028dEbrUN8v8XePfOscDtbI3REbwfsydjlZIVkG_bfgFt3etw/s1600-h/chocIII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iY7jOGwcEbiSVGq7XdfZK0EOO_4fGDQ9ZwioiR5G2TAtRuVsS29KrcLIWx2Pe6Do6bS4qVT-ip8ouHWcI8oT07Qmfk028dEbrUN8v8XePfOscDtbI3REbwfsydjlZIVkG_bfgFt3etw/s320/chocIII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448614148849153506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Coconut Lemon<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY_MTJ6JyFqc9q5Z9RJ6dEG5N4ceFNLf0pcOAsb4y5n6dMrLl71Druhy38OZqhc18h3O8RmRTo240SvOZCqDRrz5U-ujg_RzhD8X6lScMoKyOxxbG-0QKg6S5oXAnp5mXq0m0VB6BCiw/s1600-h/lemonII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY_MTJ6JyFqc9q5Z9RJ6dEG5N4ceFNLf0pcOAsb4y5n6dMrLl71Druhy38OZqhc18h3O8RmRTo240SvOZCqDRrz5U-ujg_RzhD8X6lScMoKyOxxbG-0QKg6S5oXAnp5mXq0m0VB6BCiw/s320/lemonII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448614332150895346" border="0" /></a>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-49439033146830508152010-03-05T23:32:00.005-05:002010-03-05T23:53:57.949-05:00Giving the people what they wantSo I've been doing a local flea market for the last month (less 1 weekend). It's been an interesting time. Mainly because I'm finding it much easier to see exactly what customers tastes are.<br /><br />I set out all my fancy looking sweet smelling soaps and which ones sell the most? The plain old boring lavender oatmeal. It's a bit of a bummer because those aren't as fun to make, but apparently it's what the people want.<br /><br />To that end I've decided to create a few more "not so pretty" basic looking bars using herbs and essential oils.<br /><br />1) Lemongrass & Rosemary with the addition of dried lemongrass for exfoliation<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBEzfiGnQRK6IpA_HGuhIDuWWhwS01zRwobBX7fu5-vtiH0Q3RfFygTDtShv6ST9XNRygX_2Xv2q4uFYwBKXN3ZN1bqw8FDQkik-KE4tNDRIu8PQmb9nsd5oqbatwgWFzkfrzitEsen4/s1600-h/IMG_5140.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBEzfiGnQRK6IpA_HGuhIDuWWhwS01zRwobBX7fu5-vtiH0Q3RfFygTDtShv6ST9XNRygX_2Xv2q4uFYwBKXN3ZN1bqw8FDQkik-KE4tNDRIu8PQmb9nsd5oqbatwgWFzkfrzitEsen4/s320/IMG_5140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445375268113231954" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />2) Unscented Oatmeal with ground oatmeal<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRmd_H-I0dDYzqKbsyEfns80-NMhGTSlRIL5e6phmNMoqluOzB9iEuLQ7MmNFzNvj6JEUy5QOvH_hNFLyQD4YJVi1caVt93B0mnhkokv0vfA9CCCg_vSZXhvufgAPq8shw9q6MJfLlto/s1600-h/IMG_5147.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRmd_H-I0dDYzqKbsyEfns80-NMhGTSlRIL5e6phmNMoqluOzB9iEuLQ7MmNFzNvj6JEUy5QOvH_hNFLyQD4YJVi1caVt93B0mnhkokv0vfA9CCCg_vSZXhvufgAPq8shw9q6MJfLlto/s320/IMG_5147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445375587422205826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">3) Clary Sage & Fir Needle with dried nettle leaves<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bZCDWjZ4EugjMd5B7KooAH6ZjOK5k_Jy25PGbdO7w0IXAHRNBEa5H_OxgzQEmpJqXJ96hxLU2JNaaVd0QCboCvOJeU8N1EhZ9lDCLmDJWZbIeDQU2NJdW86w830TN9Oad3KTeoWOM-w/s1600-h/IMG_5138.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bZCDWjZ4EugjMd5B7KooAH6ZjOK5k_Jy25PGbdO7w0IXAHRNBEa5H_OxgzQEmpJqXJ96hxLU2JNaaVd0QCboCvOJeU8N1EhZ9lDCLmDJWZbIeDQU2NJdW86w830TN9Oad3KTeoWOM-w/s320/IMG_5138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445379446391574498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Can't wait to see how they go over with the flea market customers!<br /></div></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-39157461669370015532010-03-04T22:21:00.001-05:002010-03-05T07:24:41.578-05:00Have machine, won't sew<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmPnctbLRuVQyERdH1x_xs05mNkI6Yf-6yRBmICbVNS0BreL3SR5Q4134zOdiuAjNTFHIe-K3sGz4jSzHYfxX3r-V0_XInFUFHnD6jnDn84biI8kcQXD0IHRgUEYNvyRLWhmt_rak-hI/s1600-h/IMG_5131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: both; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmPnctbLRuVQyERdH1x_xs05mNkI6Yf-6yRBmICbVNS0BreL3SR5Q4134zOdiuAjNTFHIe-K3sGz4jSzHYfxX3r-V0_XInFUFHnD6jnDn84biI8kcQXD0IHRgUEYNvyRLWhmt_rak-hI/s320/IMG_5131.JPG" border="0" /></a> I have a hate hate relationship with sewing.<br />My mother was a professional dressmaker whilst holding down a full time job at the local hospital and for many years I woke up to the hum of her Singer sewing machine and fell asleep to the same sound as she would try to squeeze in as much sewing as possible before & after work.<br /><br />I'm not sure if it was the never ending number of button holes I had to unpick or the 100's of hems I had to hand stitch that made me despise anything to do with a needle and thread.<br /><br />Either way, here I was many years later staring at her Singer sewing maching that sat in the corner with a look of disgust on my face but at the same time, a longing to create sewn lavender sachets. What was I to do?<br /><br />My longing for lavender sachets overpowered my dislike for the hunk of metal that was to be the vehicle to my hearts desire.<br /><br />So I bit the bullet and I fought with said machine for over 5 weeks before I finally realized my dream of lavender sachets. I'm so chuffed with these I want to keep them all for myself.<br /><br />I still can't sew for ish :-)<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-76996987790841533222010-01-31T19:00:00.004-05:002010-01-31T19:51:24.839-05:00A Positive NoteI want to share something that's happened to me lately in the hopes that someone else can benefit also.<br /><br />So, not sure if I mentioned a while back that ever since reading the book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/1582701709/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264985460&sr=1-1">The Secret</a>" and watching the documentary "<a href="http://www.bloodline-themovie.com/">Blood Line</a>", reading a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Spiritual-Laws-Success-Pocketbook/dp/1878424602/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264985400&sr=8-4">book</a> by Deepak Chopra, I've been doing some serious thinking and soul searching. Not only have I questioned my religion as I know it, but also myself and my life purpose. I can't say that I've found any concrete answers yet but I feel I'm on the right path somehow and am becoming more open minded about the amount of power we all have over our own destiny.<br /><br />So here's my story. It's a bit long but I have to tell the entire thing so you get the picture. You all know how I feel about my 9-5 job right? I don't have many positive things to say about it and it's been this way for a couple years now. WELL, a couple Fridays ago I can say I had the worst day ever at work. I mean, when you get an email sent directly to you from your bosses, bosses, bosses, bosses, bosses, bosses boss you KNOW you've dropped a major ball. I'm not talking a Director or VP here, I'm talking the 2nd in command of a HUGE corporation that employees thousands of people world wide. This is an individual who should not even know I exist. To say I was mortified is putting it mildly and to be honest it wasn't I who had dropped the ball but my manager's manager. But because I was "handling" the coordination of this particular project all eyes fell on me.<br /><br />Fast forward to the end of that horrendous day. I still had not heard from our Director re said email so I assumed he was so mad he didn't want to talk/communicate with me. I wouldn't either had I been him. His scivvy made the entire department look bad. Monday was to be holiday and still the issue was not resolved. The entire weekend I spent feeling sick to my stomach and almost wishing I could contract some God-awful disorder so I could spend the next month or so in the hospital until the whole mess had been been forgotten about. Well, that never happened and Tuesday morning my stomach churned as I got ready for work. Husband kept saying to me "It's going to be a good day today" over and over and while I really wanted to tell him to shut up because there's no way in HELL it was going to be a good day, I found myself saying it also. I drove to work chanting those words and do you know what? It was a good day! The dropped ball was picked up (over that weekend) and unbeknown to me and I was able to make everything right within 30 minutes of being at the office. Everyone was happy. Our department was looking good again.<br /><br />At the end of the day I sat back in my chair and marveled at how everything turned around so quickly and easily. I wondered if my chanting had anything to do with it and decided at that moment to try it again the next day. I did and it was. Then the next day and the day after that. I can honestly say that I've had the best and most fulfilling last 2 weeks at work and I believe I was responsible for it. Anytime I had a negative thought, I changed it into a positive thought. So long as I was thinking positive, positive things happened. And guess what? This past Thursday an email was distributed to all & sundry mentioning the great work I've done on said project. Two weeks ago who would have expected THAT? Not me for sure.<br /><br />So folks, get your minds right and make it happen. Think positive. Happiness begets happiness. It's the way the universe works. Believe me, I know!Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-37387333770495619482010-01-26T12:07:00.005-05:002010-01-26T12:14:53.044-05:00oh look, there's moreI seem to be on a roll lately. Just don't seem to be able to get enough of making soap. I guess it makes up for all those times when my mojo disappeared on me and was nowhere to be found.<br /><br />Anywho, these are 2 of my more recent creations.<br /><br />Apple Oatmeal - the bottom half is scented with oatmeal, milk & honey. I added ground oatmeal to it for exfoliation. The top half is scented with spiced apple (no apples added here). I sprinkled cocoa powder between the two layers because I was feeling daring.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JvOaW84U0zvlopJYiyTck6c-YYnapvvXMl0CxfP7WW6FsSmjURaOb-0Gt-gAhh_AMghhrcHQsYwVfoSX4qaGvX0902uvQnCSmWRrrl9S_WD-izfCwKZyIDIl85Bd_MTaHl4alyeZ_JA/s1600-h/appleoat.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JvOaW84U0zvlopJYiyTck6c-YYnapvvXMl0CxfP7WW6FsSmjURaOb-0Gt-gAhh_AMghhrcHQsYwVfoSX4qaGvX0902uvQnCSmWRrrl9S_WD-izfCwKZyIDIl85Bd_MTaHl4alyeZ_JA/s320/appleoat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431097062032942994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Lavender Oatmeal - This is kinda run of the mill. Just ground up lavender and oatmeal added at trace. Was going for a softer purple but ended up with this more intense color. Did I ever mention that lavender is not my favorite scent? That's putting it mildly of course. Not only the smell but it messes with my schedule. It ALWAYS makes me sleepy. The day I made these I had to take to my bed at 8:30pm. I was so sleepy my eyes were tearing up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6K1UZ3GUsZsj0A9qD8cycyLvy8EPME19MArCEhuxKFdm2-jUcqXD_bgJ24eXyVMTH0U_wT8AmSNKLfDoP8ibdSHW2pdSyNCvN2ANbVaYjRDc_Igi9Yv0J-9BR_5xqjRPSEmr6WTNbdsg/s1600-h/lav.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6K1UZ3GUsZsj0A9qD8cycyLvy8EPME19MArCEhuxKFdm2-jUcqXD_bgJ24eXyVMTH0U_wT8AmSNKLfDoP8ibdSHW2pdSyNCvN2ANbVaYjRDc_Igi9Yv0J-9BR_5xqjRPSEmr6WTNbdsg/s320/lav.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431097899964332482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">More later....<br /></div></div><br /></div></div>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-78033006432942814302010-01-18T14:57:00.007-05:002010-01-18T15:21:36.337-05:00Is it Spring yet?My, it's been a while huh?<br /><br />I could say I've been so rushed off my feet I haven't had time to blog but I'd be lying. Well sort of anyways. I have been a bit busy, not necessarily with soapy stuff, more with learning how to do new things for myself. I've taken up knitting again and am having so much fun with it, I've become quite the yarnaholic.<br /><br />Anyway I digress. Yesterday I made up my mind to make some soaps I've been thinking about for far too long. Parma Violets & Turkish Delight to match my lip balms. For those of you who don't know it, I'm a candy eating fool (especially British candy). Growing up I ate so much sugar I'm surprised my blood isn't treacle right now.<br /><br />I used to love eating Fry's Turkish Delights but sadly they've been more and more difficult to find these days. It's a block of rose flavored gelatin like substance covered in rich milky chocolate. It is the candy that inspired me to make my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38665410">Turkish Delight</a> lip balm (combo of rose & chocolate flavors). Here I dusted the tops with cocoa powder. Don't they look edible?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExf2iXdXK7KqPfB4EaTmSeP1ULYbvk_MKhdKTBXFYhoSPIdR1NyauI4h1Lc94CoyhPJFm0ka1m2aqkcIkXeKMKYXxqxrIaiG2RRvny0Jo8LFwp5gSL0hSPTzqElu5VMEQ-Fb3lAX14EA/s1600-h/turkishdelight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExf2iXdXK7KqPfB4EaTmSeP1ULYbvk_MKhdKTBXFYhoSPIdR1NyauI4h1Lc94CoyhPJFm0ka1m2aqkcIkXeKMKYXxqxrIaiG2RRvny0Jo8LFwp5gSL0hSPTzqElu5VMEQ-Fb3lAX14EA/s320/turkishdelight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428173678770287730" border="0" /></a><br />Next is Parma Violets. These were little purple hard candies that were sold stacked on top of each other in a clear plastic sleeve. They smelled DIVINE and tasted like the smell of perfume if that makes sense. When I found a violet flavor oil I just knew I had to make <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38790903">lip balms</a> in this flavor. Here I colored the batch with purple swirls and sprinkled purple sugar crystals on top. I cannot believe how wonderful these smell. I want to lick them each and every one!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrslH7DTf8gY4TFPsjOEsbD9c275Ade6xzcyTbqrZF1s2ayQmuu08jgkbX0EDz6vlQ4qByognP8rNjYYTPgTpnLhhxgPwhWEipma1PFa9W4SpsQDELL0tNMlylQlpc6AQZbe9wyjB1KaY/s1600-h/violet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrslH7DTf8gY4TFPsjOEsbD9c275Ade6xzcyTbqrZF1s2ayQmuu08jgkbX0EDz6vlQ4qByognP8rNjYYTPgTpnLhhxgPwhWEipma1PFa9W4SpsQDELL0tNMlylQlpc6AQZbe9wyjB1KaY/s320/violet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428174633668240306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lastly, I made a batch of "Lilac" scented soap. Odd thing about these is that they will usually sit in my shop totally unnoticed for ages, then all of a sudden there's a mad rampage for them with requests for more. I can't say I was a huge lilac fan but I will admit that these have a very mild floral scent until they hit the water, then it's like KAPPOWWWW - you fell face first into a lilac bush!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6W9Oy1J-_Gv2Gd5Ipw5StbV49nCsQpjNs3_qajdggaSShBqX5BYm8zHZVNOVhwA6WkB_IpQPxgeZMhKUybsyPZ-gh2dz_Oqz_ekEvwA91Jp5UoWo-EUHzKwIx8rtowlQ_W2HWFW1Iv8c/s1600-h/lilac.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6W9Oy1J-_Gv2Gd5Ipw5StbV49nCsQpjNs3_qajdggaSShBqX5BYm8zHZVNOVhwA6WkB_IpQPxgeZMhKUybsyPZ-gh2dz_Oqz_ekEvwA91Jp5UoWo-EUHzKwIx8rtowlQ_W2HWFW1Iv8c/s320/lilac.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428175826123801746" border="0" /></a><br />I CPOP'd all these so as soon as they've firmed up a bit more they'll be ready to hit the streets. Spring is definately in the air!Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-82142593934033493182009-12-19T21:03:00.004-05:002009-12-19T21:19:29.596-05:00Fleur de sel caramels<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-bLW46heqsH5p58QGMaXK0dMOnofBk2Q6dcCiXFLuWd4ZTsEw2dtIcQM5obX9KshxGSgJTEg9HRFnZIdKrkR9JfQ0maG7iZ4fhCFm55qnDSqQj4R9ZqPsSowHEM7bn2dAYOTyHvvkJ8/s1600-h/fleurdesel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-bLW46heqsH5p58QGMaXK0dMOnofBk2Q6dcCiXFLuWd4ZTsEw2dtIcQM5obX9KshxGSgJTEg9HRFnZIdKrkR9JfQ0maG7iZ4fhCFm55qnDSqQj4R9ZqPsSowHEM7bn2dAYOTyHvvkJ8/s320/fleurdesel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417137245991119954" /></a><br />When I was a kid I went through this candy making phase. For a while, every weekend me, my sister and my niece would spend the afternoon in the kitchen making our own candy. We made fudges, toffees, honeycombs and even once made hard peppermint candy. To this day I regret not keeping my little book that documented all our confectionery experiments.<br /><br />A few months back I had a sudden penchant for some home made caramels, so did a quick google search for recipes and came up with this one from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fleur-de-Sel-Caramels-230778">Epicurious.com</a>. The first couple of times I made these I didn't have a candy thermometer and tried to guesstimate the "soft ball" stage (that's candy speak). My guesstimation was off which resulted in caramels that wouldn't hold their own shape and had to be eaten with a spoon. Of course this didn't phase me because they were still tasty. Then I got myself a thermometer and my 3rd attempt was successful. <br /><br />Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it. I used regular course sea salt in my recipe which worked fine for me:<br /><br /> * 1 cup heavy cream<br /> * 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br /> * 1 teaspoon fleur de sel*<br /> * 1 1/2 cups sugar<br /> * 1/4 cup light corn syrup<br /> * 1/4 cup water<br /><br /><br /> * Special equipment: parchment paper; a deep-fat thermometer<br /><br />Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.<br /><br />Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.<br /><br />Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.<br /><br />Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close. <br /><br />If you try it, let me know how it turns out. If you lose any fillings, don't blame me!Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-29291206567644001932009-12-17T07:31:00.004-05:002009-12-17T21:28:09.915-05:00No autographs pleaseCheck out this video of me at the BUST Craftacular. Here's to hoping that Rachael likes her <a href="http://www.morganstreetsoap.com/item_52/Guinness-Lime-Soap.htm">Beer Soap</a> & <a href="http://www.morganstreetsoap.com/item_26/Chocolate-Cake-Lip-Balm.htm">Chocolate Cake Lip Balm</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/13_xan_JQQI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/13_xan_JQQI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307567365366408233.post-47798002554634552762009-11-25T11:21:00.004-05:002009-12-17T21:29:20.826-05:00I've made a difference!<span style="font-size:130%;">Yes, I really have. Not sure if I mentioned the story in a previous post but one day husband was going to a BBQ of an </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-size:130%;">acquaintance</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of his. He asked me to put something together as a gift for the host's wife so I did. Just a few bars of soap and a couple lip balms I think it was.<br /><br />About a month later, the host contacts husband to thank him profusely for the wonderful stuff and to tell him how much he enjoyed using them and how although he was a tough army guy, he had never felt so pampered in the shower.<br /><br />This switches on a light bulb in husband's head so he asks me if I would make a batch of soap to send to the soldiers in Iraq. I was delighted to so that's exactly what I did. I made a batch of oatmeal, milk & honey and for a bit of pampering I added real milk, real oatmeal and real honey oh and lets not forget the silk fibers either. Even soldiers want soft skin sometimes. Off the soaps went to Long Island where "Army man" would ship them off to Iraq to his fellow fighters.<br /><br />Yesterday husband went onto a forum they all belong to and read this posted by "Army man" who is now back in Iraq:</span><br /><br />I've touched on this before but I'm going to a kind of repost with some actual in the field reviews (edited for language shared amongst<p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">soldiers) of a DAMN FINE product made by the illustrious Mrs. JJenk. </p> <p class="MsoPlainText">I'm talking about handcrafted soaps and lip balm.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">What is so special about soap and Chap-Stik you ask? Read on......</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">My first experience with this was after my Beer-B-Que and GTG this summer. JJenk was kind enough to bring a gift for Mrs. SFA, a basket of lip balms and soaps that she handcrafts in small batches.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Used her coffee almond bar the next day. HOLY SH*T this stuff was like showering using baby bunnies for a soap bar and clouds for lather. </p> <p class="MsoPlainText">There was all kinds of happiness involved. Not just smile on the face kind of happy but WOW this stuff is amazing kind of happy.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">It literally left me feeling cleaner than anything else I had ever used with no strong perfumey kind of after-smell. I also used it with a brush for shaving and it completely and utterly rules for this task.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">A couple months later Mrs. JJenk made a batch for me to ship to my comrades in Iraq. This was almost an unscented soap (any smell attracts sand flies and mosquitos like mad). Took a good while for it to arrive but it did finally make it. Some of the thank yous I have gotten go like this.....</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText">"Damn brother- where the fu*k did you find this stuff? This is the first time I've felt clean in months and it even knocked out my toe rot........"</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText">"Coyote this good sh*t. Same thing like that my mother made in Estonia. </p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText">It is like being back home. The Bear loves you again...."</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText">"- thank you soooooo much for the soaps. I'm not a foo-foo girl but this is pure luxury and a definite treat."</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;" class="MsoPlainText">"Good sh*t. Now I know why I kept your ass around for so long"</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Yeah guys & girls- it is THAT good. These are comments from guys who don't give a rodent's posterior about high end anything for the most part unless it goes bang or boom. Heck I'm not a dude that rants and raves about this kind of thing either but gotta say this is worth the effort to speak up about.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The second part of the basket included some lip balms. When I say that smooching Mrs. SFA has become even more enjoyable take that as it stands. Very cool flavors, sweet and nothing artificial. My personal favorite is the chocolate cake one which also happens to be Mrs. SFA's fave as well. Works out well for all concerned!</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">She's always had a problem with chapped lips during the winter, especially with central heating systems. No worries so far- and the best part is it's 100% natural. No Red #3 or sodium hydroxegenated whodawhackers, just good old fashioned grandma's kitchen type ingredients. Not gonna get lip cancer from this- just tasty kisses</p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">With Christmas coming up snagging one or two bars of this heaven would be a good move for the Mrs. or significant other in your life or even as a gift to yourself. Same goes for the lip balm (serves as a gift for you both hehe). I'm pretty much off bar soap for good after trying these boutique bars.</p><p class="MsoPlainText"></p>Morgan Streethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07681073470448924820noreply@blogger.com9