Bye Bye August

 I really didn't think I would get this month done. August was crazy in spite of being locked in the house for most of it due to the heat.

 September looks like a bear to finish but since I am a captive audience at Daughter's this week and I brought it along, I just may make a dent in it.

 Unfortunately this project has become a record of my failing eyesight.

 I almost gave up on the whole thing because I can't see worth beans in this half light we have in summer.

Voila. This thing is FAB. U. LOUS. Not exactly comfortable but I don't stitch for hours anyway. What's next though? A microscope? Getting old is no fun.

Here Kitty Kitty

 As I mentioned yesterday I am minding the kitties at Daughter's while she and Hubby are vacationing here. Not bad.

While I am spending quality time with her fur babies she is spending time with the island feline population.

 She posted these pix on Facebook of her trip.

Some people go places to see the sights. She goes places to find the kitties-and there's always kitties.

August Cards

 I'm off kitty sitting again for Daughter this week so August is over for me. I didn't get too much time to spend in the card room this month.

 In one flurry of activity I managed to do some stencil embossing.

 I die cut some stars, lots of stars.

 I did notice an improvement with my heat embossing. This isn't half bad. Mine is usually a smeary mess.

The only new toy I added to my card stash this month is this stamp shammy from Lawn Fawn. Baby wipes were leaving fiber on the stamps so I picked up one of these from Amazon after reading the reviews. I love it. It looks a mess but it works like a charm. Sort of like me.

Sunday Soap: That's All for Fall

Here's that pumpkin soap that was in the mold last week. Meet Pumpkin Picking. If you like pumpkin pie you will love this. It smells just like it.

Next is my favorite standby Oatmeal, Milk and Honey. I can't not have a bar of this in the shower. It's the comfort food of the soap world. I love it.

Speaking of the shower, here is a bar that I'm using at the moment. It's one I made last summer. I wanted to see how they aged so I stuck some way in the back of a hall closet and forgot about them for a year. I suppose it depends on the additives and the way it's stored but this old soap is nice. Very nice.

 That old bar was concocted out of some essential oils and every color of clay I had at the time plus a splash of activated charcoal. I have lots of different colors of clay now so I made a fancier version. I didn't use a commercial fragrance so I get to name it. Meet Painted Desert. It smells like lavender, litsea and cedar. It's tangy and earthy at the same time.

Finally, and I mean FINALLY, meet Honeycrisp Apple. I mixed some apple fragrance with some honey fragrance and it is delicious. I seriously want to eat this one. I now have 98 bars of soap curing. Yes, I said 98. Being stuck inside during the heat wave has turned me into a crazy soap making lady. Even worse, Daughter sent me a $50 Brambleberry gift certificate for helping out at skate camp. I've got 8 Christmas fragrances on the way.  Eight. This is really getting out of hand.

Walking Weather

 It's not cool anymore but for two blessed days this week it was decent enough for an early morning walk with the dogs.

 They've both had a miserable summer with allergies. Me too.

 No wonder. It's a jungle out there and it's all in bloom.

 Our street is covered in vines. There could be a T Rex in there somewhere and I wouldn't know it until it was too late.

 The poke is beginning to ripen.

I'm thinking that maybe Finley the Shetland fleece could use some color but it's so hot and muggy again I don't want to even think about fleece at the moment.

 This is all I ever see of Pup on our walks. She is all nose to the ground. It's annoying. I want to walk, she wants to stop and sniff everything.

At least she is a little dog with little legs. I'm not sure I could keep up with anything bigger or faster these days. The march of time is taking its toll.

Fabulous Foot Fizzies

 My bath bomb experiment a few weeks ago was a big success so I decided to make more. I didn't particularly care for them in the bath but they are a miracle foot fizzie. After a week at skate camp my feet were a disaster. I'm not sure why or how but one soak gave me feet like I haven't had in years. I'm sold.

I made lots of different ones this time around and all seemed to go well until.....

 ...they started to dry.

 Uh, oh...the one on the right is an original fizzie. The one on the left is a new one. While drying the new ones swelled up and got pitted,

See the difference in texture? I think it was still too humid. I had the AC off and the windows open for a bit so the new ones started to fizz a little while they cured. Darn.

They still fizzed in the tub and worked their magic but they are ugly, all rough and bumpy and a bit misshapen-sort of like my poor feet. I like to drop them in a big bowl and stand in it while I am showering. It is the ultimate in decadence. I am in love with these goofy little things. Who knew that plain ole baking soda, epsom salts, citric acid and just enough fragrance oil and melted butters to hold it all together could be so, well....lush?

 This morning I made even more and stuck them in the oven with just the light on to dry. Someone on some forum suggested it so we'll see how that works. I just hope I remember they are in there or I could be in for an awful big mess.

I've also learned you've got to wrap them up in humid weather. I know, the famous maker's shop just has them sitting out in bins. I'm not sure how they manage that but from now on, my bombs are covered.

Slowly She Goes

My last warp is still sitting on the loom. Finding the time to sit and fiddle with it hasn't been easy.

 The same goes for the new warp. It's going on but at a snail's pace.

 It's been nice working from these big cones for a change. They stay put instead of rolling about.

I always have to get creative with ways to keep the little guys tame when I am working with so many colors. I think I know what I want for Christmas this year from the kids. Cones, cones and more cones.

Twofer

Yesterday I posted today's post by accident. I wondered why people were commenting about butterflies AND dishcloths. I HATE when I do that. I have a bad habit of writing several posts at a time and goofing up the posting dates and times. Oh, well.....

Dishcloth Fail-Sort Of...

 This is not really a fail but it wasn't done in time for the dishcloth swap. It probably won't be done in time for Christmas gifting either. I had good intentions but this project kicked my behind in several different ways.

 In the sea of free patterns floating about, I bought this pattern as soon as I saw it. It is Spa Cloth by Stephannie Tallent.

I should have known this was going to be humdinger. When I saw the chart my eyeballs almost fell out.

 I had to take lots of notes to have it all make sense to my old brain.

 I use the chart and the written instructions to always make sure I know where I am.

Having said all that, it is a very well written pattern and the results are beautiful-just not in this yarn. Regular craft store cotton is too splitty and too stiff to do all the cabling and lace sections.

I am soldiering on with the original but I've got reserves on hand that just arrived in the mail. Dishie is a softer cotton that I hope will be the answer to making good use of this gorgeous pattern.  As crazy as it seems I am liking the challenge.

Little Visitor

 I was hauling in all the costumes and scenery from the week at camp when I sat down the bag of colorful tutus on the outdoor table.

This raggedy fellow wasn't shy at all about sitting a spell in the middle of them. I wonder if he/she thought it was a flower?

Yesterday was also the day that we could open the windows for the first time since way back in July. It was cool enough in the morning for a few hours of airing out the place.

It was also cool enough to go outside and take stock of the yard. Here's what I found on the deck-a promise of better days to come. I can't wait.