It's been a Soapin' Frenzy! July 12, 2008

Many of you know I go to Illinois and Wisconsin to work and play in August. This year I will be up there in time for the highlight of the trip--the Boone County Fair. It's held during the first full week in August. I love getting to see my nephews and nieces show pigs in the 4-H Fair and entering items in the Home Economics Open show. Every year I have won a ribbon, so that's the hope again this year when I am entering several jams and a chocolate cake. Last year I got first place on my sugar free cookies! A bunch of us usually enter chocolate chip cookies...my Dad won first place two years ago...so he is the one to beat. Mom enters her yeast rolls and finally got her blue ribbon last year.


So, the biggest part of my summer is trying to make enough soap to do three shows. If they were shows like we have in the summer in Florida, it wouldn't be hard. The Florida shows are slow, which is basically why I don't do many anymore! But, one I do up there, the Schaumburg Septemberfest, is like a big Fall or Spring show down here. For those of you familiar with the Delray Affair or Market Days in Tallahassee it is very similiar.



So, the hard part is finding room to store it all!










The main storage rack in what used to be the little bedroom...










Some more on the guest bedroom dresser...




Some more on a table set up in the guest bedroom...


More in the hallway closet...

Another table full in the guest bedroom...

and finally the last little bit on another dresser in there!



I even got an idea for this year's Christmas soap, so I did that too. Like I said, I have a LOT of soap around right now!

I do the labels at the same time...and the new printer gave me fits for a while. I had to call the local repair place and they told me what was causing the problem. With Rod's help we got the printer tilted at the right angle and the little piece of solid ink that was holding up the works out of there. Jeez, what a pain.

I also decided to start wrapping the soaps with handmade mulberry tissue and I am waiting on my big box to get here. I couldn't get all the sheets I needed in one color, so I have an assortment of about 8 colors coming in. The best thing is that they offered paper cutting, so I won't have to do that any more. Yippee!!

Next up is to rework the incense display, then make body polish, fizzies, pour oils and then I think I am ready for the Fall shows. I think...