CHRISTMAS SOAP MAKING

Hello and welcome.... The last week has found me elbow deep in Christmas, yes I know it early but I have had lots to for the markets and soap orders as well....

For last Sundays market in Toowoomba I made Christmas hand towels and dishclothes which were a real hit. Also Christmas candles and soaps.

With the soap I have made the grandchildren {all 14 of them} there names, I am sure they will enjoy those....So many A and Es to make though,all done now.

As I only had 4 moulds it took a little while to get all the letters but all part of the fun. I have made a few Christmas orders for soap as well..

The above one is activated charcoal to get the black colour with peppermint and eucalyptus it smells amazing...I decorated it with gum nuts and leaves from the garden....

This was a order to use egg yolks in the soap with no colour or scent, I must say I wasn't to sure but it turned out OK...It came totrace very quickly so was hard to work with...It also took longer to cure. But the customer is happy so that is good...

This order was for Christmas soap and the customer has children so I had some fun....The block soap I tried to makelook like candy canes but it looks more like peppermint fudge hahahaha....Also made soap with christmas trees..

All orders are done now and we have 3 more markets befor Christmas then we will have a break untill February..... As I write this it has been raining all night and day which is such a blessing, the garden is loving it.... Untill next time.... Mandy

WELL HELLO

It has been a long time since I visited this old blog of mine! So much has happened in the last year but I am not going to bore you with it all, so lets start here and today. The most exciting thing is I have decided to give up work.For the last 6 years I have worked at our little local Post Office and truly enjoyed it.Things change and now it's time to move on.

I will spend more time with my children and grandchildren and a lot more time with my Mum and Dad...Bruce and I have lots of ideas and things we want to do and see. We have been busy doing the markets this year selling candles and soap, Bruce has been making wooden items as well, we both enjoy doing the markets and getting out and meeting new people and saying hello to our regular customers.

My days are filled with the rhythm of slowing down while working in the garden growing our food to eat, making soaps and candles for our marketstand and just taking the time to stop and enjoy the beautiful place we have created and live. Life has many seasons in it and I amgoing to enjoy this season in my life. I am going to make the time to blog again even though on this old computer its so hard. I can't even connect my phone to it to download photosbut I have found a way to get around that by sending them to myself and then downloading them.... For now I am going to make a cuppa and finnish making the candles for next weeks market.... Mandy.....

Family and Farm...............

Hello to all,

I am hoping all Queenslanders have been getting this rain.

We have had over 5 inches now for the month of Oct.

This cheeky little rabbit is my youngest Grandchild William (Billy)

Billy is going to be a big brother in May 2018

Grand baby No 12

God has blessed us so much with our children and continues to bless us with grand babies now.

Our quiver is still filling..

Cassie & Billy were home for the weekend. Love having this girl home, she is truly a bright light. Always fun (naughty) and has such a loving heart for all those around her...And a fantastic Mum to Billy and wife for Ben....

We had a market on at our local hall on Sunday.  I think this is the first market I have done this year.

Too busy with the shop these days.

The market is the reason Cassie came home. Her hubby Ben is a saddle maker,

and leather worker so Cassie had a small stall as well.

These 2 are the newest members on the farm... They are doing a great job of keeping the snails down as well.

 The Jacaranda tree is in full bloom and the front yard is a carpet of blue.

As is the veranda

 The Flame tree is out early this year as well.

This is the Tea Garden

I have all tea herbs in here. Lemon verbena to Vanilla grass.

and all in between.

This was a hot unused area in the vege garden and is now the prettiest with the calendulas flowering in there. 

With all the rain I am getting my exercise mowing.

My ride on died so I am push mowing the yard, Between the edging, mowing and 

wiper snipering I do about 2 hours a day to stay on top. 

I tell you what I better start losing weight !!!!!!!!!

Blessing

and have a great week.

Mandy

Any-one still there...........

If there is any one out there 

Hello.

I couldn't even begin to catch up on all that has happened since I last blogged.

So I will not even try..

 We have had some good rain this year so the garden is looking green.

The herbs are doing well in the vege patch but it is too hot to grow any thing else really.

We did get a wonderful crop of grapes this year, green grapes are my favorite.

There was plenty to share as well.

I have been filling in gaps in the garden beds....Lots of cuttings in September saw me able to start filling them up.

My favorite thing at the moment is edging...

I have always done the edges with my shovel and it is hard work. When we visited Tenterfield in September, we were visiting a garden and I asked how she got her edges so perfect.

Well she got her petrol edger out and showed me

and it was love at first sight.

Thankfully I have a son that works in a mower shop that was able to get one for me.

And I love it.....so easy to use...

I think those edges speak for themselves....hahaha

We are still doing markets and had a lot at the end of 2016, no

more now until March as we are having a break from them.

Opening our shop back up here has also kept us very busy, as 

it has been very busy. We only open 3 days a week...

Friday-we still have craft as well here

Saturday

Sunday.....I also have a business partner and she works Sundays for me.

Loving having my shop open again and sharing all I make and vintage treasures that I find.

Life is good and I am enjoying 

my little shop, my family is growing all the time.

We have 3 grand babies due this year.

God is good and has blessed me in so many ways.

Thanks for dropping by......

Mandy

Hello!

Spring is nearly here and I have been spending a lot of time in the garden.

Also taking cuttings and getting a head start with them in the glass house.

Bruce has been busy putting windows into our out door area. They can all open and will keep the rain out so we can still use this space.

We did a market in our little local town last week end.

It was a Heritage festival and there was lots to do..Bruce enjoyed taking the grandies on rides..

I think Harry loved it as well.

  I have had the crocheting bug and making every one rugs..

The one below I made Chloe for her birthday.

I prefer the long ones my self as I can use them more, but the round is very popular.

We had some great rain last night so I'm out to weed the garden....

Enjoy your week...

Mandy

Lazy Days.....

School is back on and our 2 weeks of Lazy days are over.

Spending time with William in the garden and just slowing down has been nice.

I love the light of Autumn and how it shines in through the door and warms the now cool mornings. I do love Autumn, I start to feel the need to sew and crochet and just make....

I am going to do some more sewing for the grand babies, Charlie has his first birthday coming up and the theme for his party is Indians so I am going to make him a out fit...

Also a dress for Sieanna and some little pants for Henry to start with..

I have also been experimenting with soap...

Below is Himalayan salt soap. Great for exfoliating your skin and help with healing blemishes.

Experimenting with soap making is so much fun and you are only limited by your imagination.

I am still doing 2 markets a month and enjoying them, but that is going to change soon as I start doing a weekly market.

Last Thursday I went with my friend to help her at the weekly Farmers market here in Toowoomba.

Bronwyn sells eggs and chickens all pasture raised. Well she got talking to the lady that is running the markets about my soap, and I was invited to have a stall. Very exciting.....We will share a stall for now  and I will see how things go..

One advantage of your best friend owning a chicken farm is I have stopped doing my own chickens and just get them straight from Bronwym....Having a brother move in that is also a poultry butcher helps in the piecing of the birds as well...

I still do something though.......the cooking,

 nothing like a nice chicken pie for dinner...

Today I am looking after this little princess for a couple of hours which has been lovely.

 I hope you all enjoy your week and in Australia the long week end coming up.

Blessings 

Mandy

Back to Routine....

January is nearly over...

Harrison has turned 3 on the 18th

3 I can't believe he is 3

My grand babies are growing up.

I have started back at the markets again for 2016

The first for the year was at Woodlands of Marburg on the Saturday.

Sunday we were back at Queens park here in Toowoomba.

This is my favorite market.

I have enjoyed getting back into the market scene again after the Christmas break.

Cassie had her Bridal shower last week end.

Such a fun day for her and very memory making.

These are the days for her to enjoy, I still remember all my bridal showers...

Seems not that long ago 29 years isn't that long.

Only 2 weeks until her big day.

 Australia Day has been and gone.

Which means one thing...

The holidays are finished and the school year has begun again.

William is growing up so fast, year 8 this year. He is the last one to be at school now sighhhhh

So now it is time to find that early morning school routine again.

It is a bit hard after 8 weeks of summer holidays but I am sure we will be back to it in no time.

Meanwhile I decided to start of rearranging my bedroom.

First it was a good clean and dust from top to bottom, then I was able to move the bed around to under the window.

I am going to do one room a day until the house is all clean.

House work hasn't been high on the list through the holidays so there is plenty to do...

Well that and Cassie's wedding.

Enjoy the rest of your week....

Blessing 

Mandy