Cottage, Summer 2016

Oh my gosh!  You would not believe the projects that I have been working on this year.  This is the year we finally sell the house in Orlando, Rod moves here and we build a garage here at the cottage.  Rod still doesn't believe me when I tell him how much he is going to love having a garage!  Especially when he tries to change the oil when it is 10 degrees outside!

I arrived in April, right after my show at Lake Eola in Orlando.  I did two quick trips to bring all my soap kitchen things to the new house.  I got sidelined in Nashville when the transmission went out and I had to spend two nights there.  I did get a loaner car so I could explore!  Thus the picture below of the American Pickers shop in Nashville.

Once I got back to Rockford, I got right to the Spring Cleanup!  This year was a little easier as I had cut and bagged most of the grasses in the Fall.  But there was still a lot to do as I had to move four different planting beds, container and statuary out of the footprint of the new garage...and it had to be done before things got growing too much.  The following pics are some of that process!

The Yellow Hybrid and Purple Baptisias!  This is only temporary as there is really only room for one of them here!

One of three Clematis that I hired to be moved...they are touchy, so I wanted help with them!

Some coneflowers and yellow eyed Susans

OK, not sure where this picture came from, but, I did grow a bunch of seeds this year.  Two of three cherry tomatoes and now blooming with little green tomatoes.  All the perennials I tried to grow from seed were eaten by something...rabbits I guess.

I have two of these pretty dwarf willow bushes that I paid to have moved too...they were just too big for me too handle

 

The area to the back I call the monuments area and it had a trumpet vine taking over, so, I yanked it out...well...I really had to nuke it to get it under control.  I am still trying to kill the thing a month later!  That is a Black Walnut tree to the left side, which I will be taking out at some point.  

The dry Koi Pond, before the fish, frogs and turtles were put in!

The Phlox,  Lily and Russian Sage Berm

The Phlox is so pretty when it is blooming...and nobody has run over it trying to get in and out of my driveway!!

This barely covers all the moving of the plants.  I did a new planting bed with all the lilies...actually two beds...one by the mailbox and one by the front courtyard in front of the wisteria.  I had the landscapers move all the big container plants--those are cedars and arborvitaes I think.  One of them is dying, but, I can't change it yet...I am afraid I would lose it with everything else going on.  

Those planting beds that had to be moved are the ones surrounding my little soap shop!  Notice the pretty glass flowers hanging from the railing.  Those are from my glass artist friend, Susan Goracy of Starry Night Creations.  She has been a soap wholesaler of mine for years when she had her gallery down in Islamorada in the Florida Keys!

 

Then my niece Ali helped me with a little furniture project I had been wanting to try.  I picked up a couple pieces I wanted to paint last summer.  Then recently I started playing around with graphics and how to transfer them to furniture.  So we came up with the following.  Ali painted all the pieces after modifying them per my specs.  

This one is going in an area that I didn't want the right side "hamper", so she cut it off!

Then we took a weekend and went to my nephew Travis's graduation at the University of Wisconsin, Steven Point.  Ali was there that weekend, so, we all got together and celebrated.  The boys Mom's all put on a really nice spread for us--and took good care of my folks who went with us!

 

Next up were some projects inside.  I had originally wanted to have a builder come in and rehab the bathroom and kitchen, but, not for the $12k they had in mind.  So, I ditched the kitchen plans for now, and spent $100 in the bathroom to put up a flexible curtain track, sewed three shower curtains together and put a holder for the shower head handle on the ceiling.  Done!  Oh, well, almost!  Another crafter friend is helping me bling out the shower curtain tie back that I will use when company comes over!  I will have to take a picture when that comes!

Rod and I also decided to have air conditioning put in and since we are not going to put ductwork in our pretty high ceilings, we went with a mini-split system.  Two units inside up on the wall and the smallish condenser on the outside.  It takes away a bit from the wall with the branches, but, in the opinion of a menopausal, hot-flashing woman--worth it's weight in GOLD!

I also decided to change out the cellular blinds in the house's windows in the great room and the bedroom.  The old ones had to be risen by hand and then chained on both sides.  I found that Home Depot will cut these to size in the store...so, I spent a bit of money on them, but, they open and close so easily.   Lowe's had them on sale too, but, they were more expensive and I didn't like how you had to hit a tiny button to open and close them.  The new blackout ones (pictured darkly below!) in the bedroom make it so nice to sleep past 5 a.m. in the morning!

Which brings me to the last of the projects--just finished today!  I use one of those ugly plastic utility sinks to wash my soap pots.  And I can see that ugly thing from the kitchen window!!  NO more...it is all pretty now thanks to a couple colors of spray paint, some 4x4's and a dahlia stencil from Home Depot and some lattice panels that were laying around. 

When we bought the cottage, there was an outdoor shower--that hadn't worked in years.  A couple weeks ago Rod researched tankless, portable water heaters and I was happy not to spend 3x the money on a 6 gallon RV water heater.  It isn't perfect--the water hose connection to the shower head leaks--but it works just fine for occasional use.  Like today after I spent a couple hours digging out a tree stump that was on the upper tier where all the big containers went.  Whew I was dirty from head to toe and it felt great to wash up outside and not have to drag all that dirt into  the house!

Notice that Trumpet Vine here too!

I know there is more--notice nothing about all the soap shop news...all the challenges during the initial setup of the kitchen and the ongoing worry about where the soap shop will go when the garage is built.  Jeez, I never lack for something to do around here!!   Just walking to the mailbox can create a 50 pound bag of weeds!  

I hope all is well in your world.  Can someone please send me a margarita, no salt!???

The Cottage Garden--new PURPLE finds!

Here are some of the plants that are peeking around the many corners of this gorgeous property this week!  Many of them I haven't identified yet, so, if you know leave a comment and I will edit the comments down the road.  

 

 

I have three beauties hiding in the monuments planter.  Mom was over and I think she said it was an Allium.  They are really hidden in this planter, so, after they lose their flower I am moving them to the front of the white trellis so you can see them!

 

I have a couple of these in different planters.  I love the color--not my shadow in the background!  Mom says they need water every time she comes over...but they are getting a regular drink from Mother Nature, so, I am not gonna add more.  Any idea what they are?



 

 

In the same planter this one  has a different growing pattern but a similar colored flower!  Love it, too!!  But I don't know what it is, do you?

 

This Clementis is growing very delicately on the chimney trellis.  I worry about the tiny, thin stem that is peeking out of the ground...and then it produces two gorgeous purple flowers like this.  They didn't last long on the vine...too much rain or wind???

 

This vine is growing in the fountain planter and is circling its way around one of the two Dwarf Alberta Spruce I have growing in pots.  Again, I don't have a name for it, but the little flower "drops" are very pretty!!

 

This purple Baptisia is a show stopper!  After the flowers are gone, the plant produces cool black seed pods that stay on through the Fall to contrast the green of the plant.  It is hardy too!  I am actually going to make a hedgerow of these in front of the fire pit this Fall, dividing this huge one into four plants.  I will move two more (one is yellow) from the back of the soap room to join this big guy!

  The next two pictures are not purple or plants.  I discovered the entrance burrow about 10 days ago and the exit was dug out a day or two later.  It may be a woodchuck in there???  It's a pretty big opening as you can see from the brick I put in to show the size!  I closed the entrance by the fence and threw some used kitty litter in the other hole.  If it is a woodchuck, I understand any young ones would be out and about by now, so, I want to get whatever it is OUT before I seal up the borrow.  I have a trap out there too, but, I haven't had anything big in it yet.  Some smaller critters are going in to steal the bait, but, they aren't big enough to trip the door.   

DIviding the Hostas

 



On Tuesday, I finally got the right conditions to spread some weed and feed--the grass was wet with dew and the temps were in the 50's.  I used my Dad's old bucket spreader and I can honestly say that I expect to have a few patches of yellow turf--the whole on/off mechanism takes a little getting used to.  At least I could practice on my lawn before doing Dad's. 

When I arrived at the folks house to spread the weed and feed on their lawn, Dad had decided he needed to mow--so that project got crossed off the list.  But wait, there was plenty more to do!  I finally tackled Mom'a hosta bed on the north side of the garage.  It was my first real experience dividing plants, and, unfortunately my partner in crime really shouldn't have been working in the garden at all.  But, I am finding it impossible to keep Mom from doing things that will end up hurting her back.  This is the finished product (picture above), nine plants all nicely spaced and set back from the sidewalk a bit.  When they are in full bloom, they tend to sweep over the walkway, so, hopefully this will keep them a bit more contained. 

While I was out there, I set up the fountain too!  Which reminds me I need to get mine going also. 
After a quick sit at the computer, we had the third project completed and it was home to do some work on the cottage. 

 

 

On Wednesday morning, we again had cool temps--perfect for a day of digging!  Mom came over and she masterminded the placement of the 20 hostas on the berm by the koi pond.  Then to keep her from doing too much, I sent her back to the backyard to work on one of the tiers she could weed standing up.  About the time she got done with that, I was mostly done with the hostas.  She was already planning on hitting up one of her friends who had a different color hosta to go with the two kinds we had in place.  There is plenty of room for more, but my back says to wait a while to put in any more!

 

 

My sister had helped Mom dig up a patch of overgrown irises a week ago, so, I had two trays of plants to put in.  Behind Mom is the bed she had prepared.  While she sat and cut the irises, I dug the holes and then planted them.  She wanted three rows, but, I think the two rows I ended up with are perfect.  And they won't need to be divided for a long while!   But, we still have a ton more to put in...somewhere.  I think they will go in a nice sunny spot on the east property line in the front yard.

Mom thought the leaves should be cut down more..I wanted them on.  Partly to see more of our hard work, but, mostly because I like the green in this particular planter.  I need to get some mulch on this bed...and if you can see the landscape fabric showing through on the next tier up, you would be screaming at me to hit Home Depot for MORE MULCH!!

 

Five of the new hostas with a bunch of coneflowers in the foreground.

A close-up--these two-tone hostas are just gorgeous when they reach their full bloom.  That's some grape hyacinth behind...the goal is to have no place for the weeds to come up!!!  Talk about wishful thinking!

The First Cottage Spring Cleanup April 2015

Earlier in the year I had grand plans to drive back to Illinois with the folks when they were ready to end their 2015 Snowbird Season.  It was a challenging plan, as trying to fit me into their SUV with all their stuff was not going to be easy.  But, I figured anything I displaced could ride with me in the big van up to Illinois in May.  But then I discovered an error in my calender.  My Orlando show, Fiesta in the Park, would not be on its usual first weekend in April, it was moved back a week due to Easter.  Oh snap!  My ride up to Illinois now became a challenge to book a cheap flight to go with the cheap return flight I had already booked on Allegiant on April 19th--about $80 with no bags.

I did find a flight on Southwest that was cheap-ish and came with two free bags, so, I booked that for Tuesday the 14th.  It would require the folks to make a trip into Milwaukee from Rockford, but, it's a pretty easy drive if you can avoid the rushes.  As the plane arrived at noon, it was doable.  What remained in question:  would I be able to whip the winter ravaged, 2/3 of an acre garden into shape in FIVE DAYS?!

Can you believe I didn't take any before pictures?  I was so excited and anxious on Tuesday afternoon I just started hacking away at the grasses near the back-up area of the driveway.  It took four hours the first day to get them cut up, bundled and bagged.  Over the next five days I would put in 40 hours,(my Mom volunteered another 8 hours, my nephew Roger about 2 very physical hours) bagging 38 bags of yard waste, 12 bundles of stalks and limbs and laying 54 bags of mulch!!  The pictures below show the end result--it isn't perfect but most of the brown, wind blown and spent plants had been trimmed.

Oh crap, I forgot to fill the bird bath.  The two brown bushes here we cut
back a bit...there was already new growth out to about the tips.  The red/
brown freeze on the two rows of boxwoods started last winter.  That may be a
project to replace down the road.   

The middle and top tiers both need mulch and the top tier needs some more
attention by the tall trellis wall.  Mom said there is some Ribbon Grass
I may want to remove.

The Scottish Thistle is starting to come up in this planter.  I will
get more pictures of that when I get back.

There are some daffodils and another unidentified flower (the reddish pink
one below that I will move into the little planter above.  These used to be
planted around an Airstream trailer they had back here.

What are these???

I didn't get the fountain set up in this planter...and, yes, there is still some
winter burn on those potted shrubs.

The Koi and the critters are playing in the "pond"!

You can see I still need to mulch the east property line planter...
another 20 bags there maybe???

I have already talked with Rod about taking a week of vacation in April with me next year so we can get the yard cleaned up.  Before I leave in October, I will get all the grasses cut back so those curly-cues aren't all over the place in the Spring...that will eliminate about 1/4 to a 1/3 of the work!  And this will become part of the Fall routine--those grasses get caught in the snowblower and we don't want any extra work come snow removal season!!

Being a good sport...

I was thumbing through a several month old magazine in my large, ever growing stack of back issues. I was kind of speed reading an article meant for parents on how to make your kids into good sports. There were several good suggestions and certainly this is one of those things most of us manage to pass with at least an average grade as we move into adulthood.  One of these, I can say I absolutely mastered and I know now exactly why.

"IN LIFE, LOSING IS MUCH MORE COMMON THAN WINNING"

It makes perfect sense, right?  To make it into adulthood, we have to weather a lot of disappointments.  We don't get the candy we want at the grocery store check-out.  We don't get to play with that new toy, now (and the ensuing tantrum certainly doesn't get us any closer to the toy box). We don't win the lead in the school play.  We will never, ever be good enough to stand in front of a sold out stadium and sing to our heart's content.  Chances are that Publisher's Clearing House prize patrol will not be standing at our door with a BIG CHECK.  There are a lot of little letdowns in the life's path to maturity.

Nephew Rog in 2008 sporting the colors!

My road to being an expert in tackling this attribute: I happened to be born into a family in Northern Illinois about an hour and a half from Chicago.   Our family was a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs, despite having reasonably good substitutes on Chicago's South Side, up in Milwaukee or down in St. Louis.  It was just that we were North Siders.  So, plain and simple I got used to losing.  Almost every day in the summer from the time I was in grade school, my team would go up against a team that may not have been any better than the Cubs and we would lose.  Nearly every single day more often than not, I would have a chance to exercise my "good sport" muscle.

That practice didn't involve something that was a matter of my personal health or wealth.  After all, it was just a game--and not even one in which I played.  So, it was a painless way to be told NO. Believe me, the lesson was learned and retained.  GO CUBS!!

Now, the main question is how a girl without kids found her way to that article at all!  Perhaps it is because I can always use a refresher course on the basics.  You know, wrap that dental floss around your teeth as you floss--not just in between them!  Drink lots of water!  Say Please and Thank You!!
At craft shows I get asked questions a lot and I try to give good advice.  But, that doesn't always translate into my real life conversations with friends and family.  Ever got into one of those one-up discussions with someone?  Next time, I hope I can just let it go and cede victory...because I don't/won't win them all!

Mom and I at Wrigley in 2006 with Rod and Dad!

 

December 2014 Soap News and Special

Hi Everybody--

What an exciting month we had in November.  To start off I had three shows.  Some of you met my painter friend Eve at Lake Eola for Fiesta in the Park.  I was up in Micanopy for the Fall Festival.  Both shows had nice cold/cool temperatures very fitting for a Fall show--and we both saw a ton of customers--thank you!  The next weekend I went to New Smyrna Beach for Flamingo Follies.  The exciting thing was coming to open my tent on Sunday and finding about $400 worth of missing soap, soap dishes, soap bags, lipbalms, yada, yada, yada!  Turns out that about a dozen artists had things missing.  The worst was a mosaic artist who had over $500 worth of products stolen.  Bummer...and probably not even worth turning in to my insurance company.  I took photos and filed a police report "in case", and the City sent a refund of 50% of the show fee. Someone is getting a lump of coal in their stocking!  Coincidentally, someone stole one of our Disney salvage bikes off our carport last week, too.  Double Bummer!

After I finished restocking a ton of soap, I made a quick trip up to Illinois to finish the winterizing of the cottage. The temperatures did not cooperate with me getting out in the yard, but, I was able to get a full van load unpacked, get two window air conditioners put away and then spent a couple days enjoying a beautiful snowfall.  I had left the old Mercury mini-van up there to use in the winter, but, we are rethinking that plan!  The first day it fired up, but, I had no lights on the dash board.  And the oil light was on.  I checked the oil and it was fine so I drove it.  The next day I had to scrape ice off the windows and once it started the lights were still off the dash AND the radio and heater stopped working.  This was not good!  I have lived in Florida 30 YEARS and this girl needs a heater to work when the temperature goes under 50 degrees.  I  added a bunch of pictures to the blog a week ago, so take a look if you are interested.

I tried to convince my Mom to come back to Florida for a couple weeks.  I knew she would love the Tallahassee Market Days show and she could spend Thanksgiving with us! But we decided that was too long for her to be away from home and Dad.  After much discussion, she decided to come for a week.  So, we spent three days on the road and had a wonderful trip full of great Mom/Daughter conversations.  Then, a day after being in Orlando, she started having back pain.  Bad pain, so bad that she started walking hunched over.  I thought it was just achy pain from her new stretching exercises and walking.  But when I say her walking like that the day before her plane trip back to Illinois, I knew it was a very bad problem.  We got her into a massage therapist, which loosened her up enough to get on the plane.  That and some great wheelchair assists on both ends of the flight!  The doctor appointment the day after Thanksgiving shows a disc problem so she is on pain meds, a steroid and muscle relaxers.    

I want to thank you all for another year of successful business--it is over 15 years--thanks to all of YOU!  I am in the process of booking shows for 2015, so, please be sure to go to the Show Schedule at www.JackieSoap.com  to see where I will be next year.  I have already had one major show problem.  Turns out the folks at the Deerfield Festival of the Arts have brought on a promoter to run the show and they decided last minute during the jury process to concentrate on ART only.  So, as a c
rafter, I was not invited back to the show.  This one hurts as I have done the show for almost 14 years.  My friend Lynn Upson, the Spice Lady, was not invited back either and she was the first craftsman invited to do the show almost 20 years ago.  So, I really need any suggestions you might have for art and craft shows in South Florida.  Which shows do you go to?

Oh, don't forget the Cyber Week special is up on the website--10% off all orders, plus the December Special and Free Shipping if you spend $50 after the discount!

Show Schedule
January 2015 
3-4 
10-11 Jensen Beach Arts and Crafts Festival 
17-18 
25-26 
31-Feb 1 


February 2015 
7-8 Lake Placid Country Fair 
13-15 Lakeridge Winefest, Clermont, FL 
21-22 
28- Mar 1 Dacie FL Orange Blossom Fest 

Industry News

Industry icon, Paul Mitchell, has a new directive this year encouraging their fans to take part in the Pay it Forward movement Check out the website at  #GIVINGISMYSTYLE  In the spirit of the season, the brand is donating up to $200,000 to it's partner charities for people taking part in the gallery  at the website.  

In an update to a post a few months ago, China has now abolished the requirement for animal testing for most cosmetics manufactured in the country.  That means shampoos, makeup, many skin care products and perfumes will be exempt from animal testing.  For imported products, the ban is in effect as long as the product's final finishing--packaging, for example--is done in China. 

Here in the states, the California Legislature adopted Resolution 22, another Cruelty Free International initiative. The hope is to get the US Congress and the President to support uniform restrictions on animal testing of cosmetics for the nation.

Company News  

The big news is the continuing Black Friday/Cyber Week specials up on the website.  CYBERWEEK - good for 10% off your shopping cart total through midnight December 7, 2014.  After that we will resort to the special as described below. 

I also talked above about the 2015 Show Schedule, so stay tuned for any and all changes that may be coming down the pike!  I really try to do shows around the state and I am always looking for more great ones.

After 15 years of doing a traditional Men's Bayrum scent for the shaving round, I decided it was time to mix it up.  What took me so long??  So, for 2015 the Pirates Booty Bar is now scented with a 100% natural essential oil blend of Lime and Pine.  

SPECIAL

For the month of December, every soap order will receive a free bar of Everything but the Kitchen Sink Soap with every three soaps ordered.  I have an abundance of these in stock right now and they are very popular with new and old customers!  And remember if you need to stock up, all orders of $50 or more receive FREE SHIPPING!  This time of the year is a great time to take advantage of this deal!

What you ask is an Ugly Soap--this would be one example!!

I have a couple bags of endpieces that have been around for a long while.  IF you are a shaving soap user or a Lavender Oatmeal lover--go to the Specials page NOW and get a great deal on the Ugly Soaps.  The Lavender soaps I just put up are what happens when I take an important phone call instead of getting the soap in the mold quickly.  It ain't pretty...but you benefit by getting a great deal on these bars.  Hey, and there are just a few bars of Split Personality 100% Natural on there too.  Really, you need to go take a look at these specials!!

The Specials can always be ordered by going to my website, scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking on the big green leaf. This will take you to the "secret" members’ only page so you can place your order. List members' pay actual shipping and tax if applicable, so disregard the shipping charge my shopping cart will show on your receipt. A correct invoice will be mailed with your order. Please put the words DECEMBER SPECIAL in the comments area of your order. You may also call or email, but be sure to mention the DECEMBER SPECIAL; otherwise, you may not get the special price.

With Warm Holiday Regards to you ALL, 

Jackie the SoapLady

Website:www.JackieSoap.com

P.S.  Dear Santa, please bring me the SixThreeZero Paisley Bike this year
--er, right after peace and joy to the WORLD!