October 15, 1998

Well, I checked my 2nd (the half-lye) batch of Lavender soap when I got home from work, and it's stilly way soft. If you gently press down on it with a fingertip, it dents. So....it's experiment time!! :)

I didn't hear back from anyone on whether it's ok to rebatch and add more lye. So what the heck, I'll give it a shot -- if the soap is just going to go to waste as it is, I have nothing to lose. Except maybe some really GOOD smelling not-quite-soap. ;)

I'm updating my tips and recipes pages tonight with all the good stuff I've seen sent out on soap-newbies. We ordered delivery pizza and it'll be time for ER soon so it's going to be a veg-out kind of night. :) I'll try the rebatching thing tomorrow, I guess...I've got a bit of a cold that's been being passed around the office so I think I'll call in sick. I have to go buy some more olive oil anyways.. :)

Oh! I about forgot to mention. I sent an email to Patti to order some FOs...some really yummy sounding ones. Let's see...what were they. Bitter almond, morning mist, sun-ripened raspberry, vanilla, hazelnut, eucalyptus, sunflower, mulberry, and country garden. Don't worry, several of those were just sample sized bottles. I can just see the look on DB's face if I got a box full of huge bottles of FOs one day...he'd say "You're going to make soap with all of THAT?!" and fall over and faint. Little does he know how addicting this all is. Much better than smoking, which is *his* vice. :) Besides, I'm kind of thinking about giving the sales thing a whirl -- several of my friends are encouraging me to sell and heck, I think it might be a good excuse for constantly playing with new recipes and new scents and making soaps all the time. :)

I also placed an order with The Soap Saloon for some neat molds and supplies. I ordered three molds -- one that's a square bar with a neat Celtic-looking knot, one's for 1 ounce personal (hotel or sample) sized bars, and one's for "family sized" bars. Then I got a gallon of coconut oil ($15) and a pound of Sweet Almond oil ($4.50). They said it would probably ship to arrive in about a week. *drool* I can hardly wait!