July 2012 - The Best in Soap Blogs

I'm not feeling so amazing, lovely readers.  I am doing a 9 day Isagenix Cleanse and, while I am sure it is doing my body worlds of good, the not eating much (which for me is REALLY not much, considering I don't eat much to begin with) I'm just run down.  It has been a hellacious week.

So, I amused myself by catching up on many of the blogs I follow.  ANd I found some awesome things to pay forward.  So, here you go folks...July's best soap blog information...gleaned from the vast expanse of the interwebs by yours truly.

Over at the blog for Aunt Nancy's Soap, she has shown some new soaps on the curing rack.  One of the new ones, Green Cactus looks amazing.  It isn't up on her site yet I will claim a bar as my own as soon as it is...I mean LOOK:

On another blog, I found mention of an Etsy shop that isn't soap but still has me obsessed!  Real Fruit Jewelry makes, you guessed it, jewelry out of real fruit.  For example, this pendant made from a tomato.

Coming soon to NYC's FiDi...The Clean Diva in this necklace.

I can easily think of three or four people who would love this stuff and, at $24 including the chain, so affordable.  I'm sold.

I haven't ordered from this next place but I've been meaning to do just that for quite some time.  Margarita Bloom is like a bath and body store MADE for me.  Since becoming a much thinner and healthier me, I find that embracing the curves given me by nature (not french fries) is important.  I don't want to be a skinny bitch and I am proud to be healthy.  And my natural shape has led me toward a very 1950's pin up girl style fancy.  Marilyn is my style icon with Bettie and Rita hot on her heels.  I also like to throw in a decent amount of June Cleaver for good measure.  So imagine my excitement at a home page thatincludes quotations from all of my favorites.




Sake Rose Blossom Soap anyone?  Yes, please!



A Lady in the Garden?  Only when I must be...

The soaps are made with ingredients I love such as coconut oil and goat milk.  Everything just looks so appropriate for my fantasies of being Ms. Monroe.

Brambleberry has a recipe for making candles out of actual lemons and I think they are just adorable. 

Doggy Soap is something I actually need right now.  I love my little pups and especially adore them when they smell clean.  Ta-da!  Sirona Springs has the perfect thing for my boys and I am stoked to try it out soon.  I'm no lover of liquid soaps and this will be perfect for my tiny guys.

Only sweet smelling pups en mi casa!

Next on my list is a blog written by The Nova Studio.  This awesome post talks about the different kinds of soap and why each of them have their place in our clean little community.  Read it, its worth it.

My new favorite soap selling Web site may be Amathia Soap Works only because the descriptions are so good.  I'm particularly coveting the Moxie Cucumber Jasmine (seen above) as I love jasmine and I think cucumber is a great summery refreshing fragrance.  (Have you tried Skinny Girl Cucumber Vodka...yum)  But what I love about the Web site is that they tell you everything you could ever want to know about the soap.  If you have allergies, personal issues with certain ingredients, or are just overly curious, this is your dream spot. 

Erin over at Naiad soaps did a month long soap a day project on her blog (you'll see I also ganked the real fruit Etsy store from her too) that can only be believed if seen.  My favorite was Day 20.



So sparkly and blue and I want it now!

 I like the soap options on the Bella Fresca site so much that I had to just pick one and this one made me laugh.:

This one has the scent of dirt in it...like Camp Snoopy in the summertime.  But if I put this in my shower, how will I be able to see it?

My final note from around the internetz is an article on The Natural Beauty Workshop blog.  It tells you about ingredients in things and how they can impact you.  Since I am always babbling about these things I thought it might be interesting to see someone put it more eloquently than I.

That's all I have.  Up soon when I have a chance to breathe, I have to tell you about my new digs as well as the hand soap I ordered...

In Honor of my Simon

Hello all.  Today is November 4th.  2 years since we elected President Obama (for better or worse) and 3 days since the birth of my youngest furbaby and the light of my life, Simon!

Weighing in at a massive 5 pounds, Simon brings so much joy to my life that I cannot believe I got by without him. 

When I first got Simon, on Christmas day 2007, he didn't even weigh a pound but he could make some massive noise.  He was a gift from my dear friend Dennis and had a big white bow tied around his adorable little midsection.  When he came walking toward me, I was in shock.  How could I ever keep something that tiny alive?

We had to take him to the vet in order to clear him to fly home.  The vet warned me not to take him outside until he weighed at least 3 pounds because NY streets can be dangerous and covered in germs.  He spent the entire plane ride from Savannah to NYC perched on his brother's head in the carrier.  I loved him instantly but also knew that he was going to be VERY different from his brother Teddy.  Where Teddy was light, Simon was dark.  Where Teddy is quiet, Simon is LOUD.  Where Teddy is mellow and relaxed, Simon is HYPER. 

When it came time for Simon's first bath I was nervous.  He was so very very tiny and I didn't want to sting his eyes or dry out his puppy skin.  I had noticed that Lush sometimes has dog washing parties so I asked them for a mild soap recommendation.  I was told that Honey, I Washed the Kids would be the perfect option.  Scented of honey and caramel, it seemed perfect for my little boy. 

So we gave a bath a whirl.  Simon loved it.  He licked at the soap and it didn't seem to even bother him.  He played with the bubbles.  I only dropped him under the water once and he came out soft, clean and smelling amazing.  To this day, I only wash Simon with this soap.  He loves it.  I love it and it's perfect.  In fact, at my house, we call it "Honey, I Washed Me Simon."

Happy birthday Simon.  I hope we spend many toffee scented years together.  Mommy is on her way home.