Fifth-Generation Soap Makers

Ours is a soap making family. Past, present and hopefully future.

All three of my kids, my son-in-law and my husband, have helped me in my soap business. Both of my daughters, Becky and Susan, have made soap, served at my side at numerous craft shows and attended soap gatherings with me. My son, Daniel, son-in-law, Randall and husband, Danny, have all helped shrink wrap many a bar. A soap making family, indeed.

As a fourth-generation Texas soap maker of Swedish descent, I enjoy having a heritage in this great craft. It also very greatly pleases me to pass the craft down to the next generation.

Photo below: Becky & Randall helping prepare for a craft show.

Our Story

So let me tell you the story of my family’s involvement in my soap obsession. They were with me from the start.

July 4, 2000 was the day I got serious about the soap making. I had experimented with soap making before, but on this day while pushing my baby’s stroller through the arts and crafts fair at Belton, Texas, I came across a soap maker selling her wares and left with my interest reignited.

Three weeks later I went back to Belton to attend a basic soap making class with that same soap maker. Susan came along and was more than content to sleep in her portable playpen. For the next three years I happily experimented making all kinds of soap. I was quite satisfied as a soap hobbyist.

The Country Soaper

The year 2003 brought many changes. In June of that year I attended my first soap convention in Dallas, with my oldest daughter, Becky, at my side and in the Fall I launched my business, The Country Soaper. My business name was one of those things that just kinda happened… and it fit!  It speaks of basic goodness. Basic goodness in a bar!

That first Christmas selling season found us at two different craft shows, again with Becky at my side helping. We had great fun.  She continued to attend soap gatherings with me and accompanied me to craft shows.  She also learned to make her own soap and mineral make up. She is a creative crafter in her own right.

As for Susan, by the time she was ten, she wanted to make her own soap, so we turned to melt & pour.

The picture below shows her selling to her very first customer. It wasn’t much of a craft show, but very unique in that it was held at my Dad’s old school in Jonah, Texas. We were only a few miles north of the farm where my mom had made soap as a young married woman.

This will be Susan’s seventh year to make her own melt & pour soap to sell alongside my cold process soap at craft shows.  Over the years she has received countless compliments on what a good salesperson she is. She does seem to be a natural. She also enjoys helping me with my responsibilities running the annual Soapmakers Seminar in Round Rock, Texas. At our last seminar in June, she got to serve on the door prize team, distributing the prizes to the attendees.

The Future?

I grew up with my Mom’s old-fashioned lye soap an ever present fixture in our home. My kids have grown up with my soap, and have gone on to make their own.

What will the future hold for this soap making family? Will our fifth generation continue on with the craft? The future is their history to write.

 

 

My Favorite Soap – Shampoo Bars

Soap making is such a unique craft because it can be an endless experiment. There is literally always something new-to-you to try.

In my own experience, I have found that I go through seasons of liking to make certain kinds of soap.

Currently, my favorite kind of soap to make is shampoo bars. I am having a particularly long season of this being my favorite, going on two years now.

I think shampoo bars appeal to my very Swedish, practical side. I mean, a soap with a dual purpose… to clean your body and your hair. How cool is that?

When I first got interested in making shampoo bars, I turned to the internet for research, but I also turned to old soap books. I took careful note of the oils and the percentage of oils used. To my surprise, I found one shampoo bar recipe in an old lye booklet that used 40% castor oil in the recipe. So I formulated a shampoo bar recipe with a high percentage of castor. I thought that it worked pretty good, but the soap sure didn’t last long.

After many test batches, but I finally came up with a formula I liked.

Here it is:

Shampoo Bar Recipe

10 oz. distilled water

4.6 oz. lye

.6 oz. sodium lactate (added to cooled lye water right before making the soap)

16 oz. canola oil  (50%)

11.2 oz. coconut oil  (35%)

3.2  castor oil  (10%)

1.6 oz. mango or shea butter  (5%)

1 oz. fragrance oil (optional)

Directions… make soap using the standard cold process soap making method following standard soap making safety precautions. Cure for at least four weeks before using.

Using Shampoo Bars for the First Time

When you first start using shampoo bars, understand that there will be a transition period. Your hair is used to what it is used to, it will take a while to get used to using a shampoo bar.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse – it is highly recommended that you use an apple cider vinegar rinse after shampooing with a shampoo bar. You can easily make your own by using a plastic bottle, preferably one with a spout for easily application.

Take make the ACV rinse, use a ratio of 1:4. Pour one part ACV into the plastic bottle, followed by three parts water. After shampooing, apply the ACV rinse and work it throughout your hair, then rinse off. Your hair will have the not so pleasant aroma of vinegar afterward, but rest assured that it dissipates rapidly.

Apple Cider Vinegar in and of itself is great for your hair! I like using it because it gives my hair a great natural shine.

If you haven’t made shampoo bars, I encourage you to give it a try!

 

For more of an in depth look at shampoo bars and other hair care products, check out the latest issue of the Soap Collaborative.

http://tinyurl.com/glc92ov

Take Time to Recharge

In our modern tech world, most of us own several difference pieces of technology by which we run our daily lives. We have our cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Each of these have a battery and said battery can only run so long before needing to be recharged.

But we tend to forget that we need to take time to recharge ourselves.

In our always-on-the-go society, we simply cannot always-be-on-the-go.

We need times of rest. We need time to recharge.

I grew up in a coffee drinking family. This was a natural being a family of Swedish descent. My parents have been gone for many years now, but I can still picture them at the dining room table, sipping coffee and talking over the day’s events. There was morning coffee of course, before and during breakfast. But then there was also the tradition of afternoon coffee when Dad got home from work.

After I graduated from high school we moved to the country. Now my parents could gaze out at the peaceful rolling pastureland while sipping their favorite beverage.

Although coffee drinking was almost treated like a sign of maturity in my family, I didn’t mature until I was in my thirties. My late arrival on the coffee scene was due to my Dad. One day as a young girl, I had asked him for a sip from his cup. He got a kick out of that and gladly allowed me a sip, but with it also came some of the icky coffee dregs. Back in the ‘60’s drip coffee makers had not been invented yet. So that cured me for many years, but I finally came around.

Now I’m the one who owns the dining room table, but my favorite place to sip coffee is out on my front porch. There I can relax while listening to all the many wonderful country sounds that surround me.

And there, I recharge.

Before long, I am ready to go on with my day.

In our seemingly always busy lives we tend to ignore our need to slow down and rest, but we really need to.

How will you take time to recharge today?

Stand By Me

Today I attended the memorial service for my dear friend’s brother. I did not know him personally, but went to support and honor her and her family.

He was young. Only 60 years old. He was struck down by a stroke and died several days later. He leaves behind his daughter and her husband. His wife had preceded him in passing.

His friends gave tributes that were very honoring to this man who obviously lived a very full life. It was all very touching.

As everyone visited after the service, I got the chance to talk with several old friends, most of whom I had not seen in many years. At one point, four of us sat together. I couldn’t help but think of how we were all friends because we all grew up going to the same kind of church. Decades. Ahem. Decades ago, we had a lot of fun times together attending youth group functions, retreats and church rallies. Now, here we sat and visited with our friend who had lost her brother.

When someone loses a loved one it is so important to show that you care. Whether you reach out in a big or small way, reach out. Reach out to the ones who are hurting. The words are not as important as the compassion you show.

Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be words at all.

I remember the day we laid my mom to rest. Before the funeral began I sat at a table at the back of the church. I will never forget the kindness my two cousins, Sharon and Barbara, showed me that day. They came into the room and each took a chair on either side of me. I don’t even remember now if many words were spoken, but I remember the love and compassion they showed. They were just there for me. They knew my need. They had already lost their mom.

True friendship, true love, is standing by someone through the hard times.

Stand by me. Stand by the ones you love.

 

 

The Superpower We All Possess

A few years ago, I drove to a nearby town to deliver a Christmas soap order. My friend wasn’t going to be at home, but we had made arrangements for drop off and payment. When I got there and opened the envelope, to my pleasant surprise I found that she had left me much more than just payment, extra payment at that. In the form of a note, she left me the precious gift of encouragement.

The note read, “Thank you, Elin. The extra money is just because! Put it towards your next publishing fees!  Love & Hugs, xxxxx”

She very thoughtfully donated extra money for my next publishing effort, and she didn’t even know that that I had another book in mind. I was blown away by her encouraging words. Physically, I drove away from her house that day. But mentally, I was soaring as high as an eagle. She believed in me and my creative efforts and showed it.

Eight months later my second book was published, Bubbles to Bucks… How To Make Money Selling Soap.

I was reminded about this, a couple of weeks ago.

I had volunteered to serve on the crowdsourcing editor team for a lady who is writing a historical fiction series.  Before beginning to read and edit the second book in the series, I needed to read the first book which had already been published. Within a week’s time I ended up reading both books, doing the editing on the second, and then submitted my editing work. To my surprise, the author soon posted to social media about how greatly encouraged she was to receive feedback from me so quickly. Ha! I just fell into reading her books and quickly found how much I enjoyed them. Hey… I’m ready for book #3!

I believe that we all have this desire, deep down, to really make a difference in this world. We want our lives to count for something. But consider this, that maybe sometimes, we miss it. While we tend to think we have to go out and do something big, we miss the fact that we have great influence in the lives of others simply by encouraging them.

We live in a world that is so negative all the time; but we should remember that our biggest common denominator is that we all belong to the human race.

We all possess this superpower of the gift of encouragement.

How will you encourage others today?

 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

—Proverbs 18:21

Beautifully Basic

In a soap making world that is full of color, I have a confession to make.

I am a very basic soap maker.

Now please understand, I love color just as much as the next person. I enjoy looking at all the colorful, wonderful soap pictures that can be found on social media. But all the fancy soaps that are the trend today, they just aren’t my thing.

But don’t get me wrong, my soap room is not filled only with beige and white. That’s not the way it is. I have plenty of color, but mainly it’s more solid colors. I do make swirled soaps, of which my green & white peppermint tea tree is my favorite, but I don’t make a lot of swirled soaps.

Why, do you ask, do I feel the need to make such a confession of being a basic soap maker?

I’ll tell you.

It’s the way I am.

It’s what I like, and isn’t that what it’s all about? When you make your own soap you get to choose exactly what you put in it.

Further, the reason for my confession is that I have this concern. With all this emphasis on color, I believe that some people are scared away from the soap making craft. Some could look at those colorful pictures on the internet, immediately get overwhelmed and think, I could never do that! Granted, others will look at the same pictures and think, I want to do that. I get that too.

But here is the statement that I want to make loud and clear.

Basic is O.K.!

It most certainly is.

Again, when you make your own soap, you choose what to put it in. You choose exactly which ingredients you want to use, to make your own soap. That is one of the beauties of the whole soap making craft. So make the kind of soap you want to make. Simply be who you are in the craft you have chosen.

Even after sixteen years, I have not love my love for the craft. Believe it or not, it is still a thrill each and every time I unmold a batch of soap.

So if you prefer basic soap like me, know that it’s O.K. Like what you like. And if you do wish to learn how to make the fancy, colorful soaps, I say go for it. You can do it. It does all start with the basics, but what you do with it and how you advance from there is all up to you.

Soap on, my soapy sisters and brothers and always remember, basic is beautiful!

Anniversary Sunset Sailing Cruise

We just returned from celebrating our 30^th wedding anniversary. It was an anniversary to remember!

We wanted to do something special, something we had never done before. But we also wanted to stay local. What to do? The solution: a Sunset Sailing Cruise with Texas Sailing on Lake Travis.

When our special day finally arrived, we drove down to Lakeway, outside of Austin, Texas. As we approached the area, we couldn’t help but notice the threatening clouds. For a week we had been monitoring the weather forecast. The day before, much of the area had been drenched with afternoon showers. Now, as we ate our early supper at Santa Catrina’s, we kept checking the radar on my phone’s weather app. There was a thunderstorm headed our way, but in the end, the rains dissipated. We were all set!

At the Lakeway Marina, our captain, Kurt Gustafson, met us at the top of the stairs.  Then we rode a tram down to the docks and made our way to the boat. It was a 31’ Beneteau sailboat and it was a beauty.

We boarded the boat, then Captain Kurt readied everything to get us underway. It wasn’t long before the captain started the motor and we carefully made our way out of the marina. Once out into the lake, he turned off the motor, then went through the process of getting everything ready for the boat to sail. I sat transfixed, watching the whole process as he unfurled the main sail and made sure all was sound with the different ropes.

Soon after we started to sail, the captain allowed my husband to take the wheel, giving him direction on how to steer to best operate the sailboat with the winds. I loved watching him enjoy the experience! We sailed up river, past a popular restaurant, many, many houses and different resorts. The farther we sailed, the farther we left civilization behind.

Being the amateur photographer that I am, of course my camera was in tow. But I did not take as many pictures as I thought I might, because I was so totally into enjoying the whole sailing experience. It was so nice just to sit there as we sailed quietly through the waters. So relaxing, listening to the waves gently splash against the boat.

Captain Kurt made the whole trip very enjoyable as shared about his almost fifty years of sailing and explained many things about the sailing. We also found we had something in common, our Swedish heritage.

About midway through the sail, we broke out the champagne to toast our thirty years. The Captain was able to take a few pictures of the two of us.

As the sun began it’s decent behind the hills, the captain turned the boat for the trip back to the marina. He joked that this was one two-hour cruise that would not end with anyone stuck on an island, as in, Gilligan’s.

It had been a perfect night for sailing. Even though the summer heat in Texas can be brutal, the recent rains had cooled the air so that it was just right. With it being a week night, there were not too many people out on the water, making it all the more peaceful.

Our sunset cruise was simply a wonderful experience that we both enjoyed so much! We are so thankful for the years God has given us and this sailing cruise was just a perfect way to celebrate!

It was indeed, an anniversary to remember.

Celebrating 30 Years

Today Danny and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage.

A milestone. Thirty years of building our life together. Thirty years of love and marriage.

What do I think of, when I think of love and marriage?

As Baby Boomers, alot of our favorite classic songs are from the ’70’s. A favorite love song of mine, is You’re Still the One by Orleans.

Here are some of the lyrics that really speak to me in this song:

We’ve been together since way back when
Sometimes I never want to see you again

This line makes me laugh because it straight out says it like it is. All is not lovey-dovey in marriage. In the beginning, every couple is blinded by stars in their eyes and they usually can see no wrong in their spouse. But sooner or later, reality hits, conflicts come and sometimes you fight. This is simply the way it is. But when you love each other, you work through things. Simply put, anything worth having, is worth working for. You have to be committed to each other.

More lines in the song that make me smile:

But I want you to know, after all these years
You’re still the one I want whisperin’ in my ear

 You’re still the one I want to talk to in bed
Still the one that turns my head

You’re still the one that makes me laugh
Still the one that’s my better half

You’re still the one that makes me strong
Still the one I want to take along

 

And then there are my favorite lines of the entire song:

Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new

You’re still the one that I love to touch
Still the one and I can’t get enough
We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one

Yes, we change and our love for each other changes too. Our love is deeper now than we ever thought imaginable back when we were first married.

You could say that love is like a garden. It changes. It grows. It can be absolutely beautiful, but it requires a lot of work. But the garden can in no way be neglected, it must be carefully tended to and it requires team effort.

My husband is my closest friend, my lover, the soul mate that God gave me. I am so thankful for the love that God has blessed us with!

Happy Anniversary, Babe!  Not only am I glad that you are still the one, but I smile at the future, looking forward to what God has in store for us in the years ahead…….

Note: celebrate with us by viewing this fun video of You’re Still The One:  https://youtu.be/SbH_sDyWZqo

Cruisin’ Thru Life at 55

It’s my birthday. Today I turn 55. The double nickel. Midway to 60…………..WHAT??????

I remember the month or so before my husband turned 50. He received his first love letter from A.A.R.P.  That’s what we call the marketing letters that A.A.R.P. starts sending folks the minute they turn 50. For you younger folks who don’t know, A.A.R.P. stands for the American Association for Retired Persons. Now you know. Anyway, I took great delight in kidding him about it. Of course, it wasn’t long before I started receiving those letters too. Fast forward a few years and we have both been receiving those love letters for quite a while now and still haven’t joined A.A.R.P.  Guess they’ll have to continue to keep after us as we just keep getting older.

Now you may enjoy hearing what I did for my birthday this morning. I walked into the Georgetown Recreation Center, plopped down my driver’s license for confirmation of my age and proudly proclaimed, Renew my membership and give me that senior discount! I don’t think those are words I will utter very often. Senior. Hmm. It’s rather strange to think that in the eyes of the City of Georgetown I am a senior. Senior, as in senior citizen. Wow. But O.K., whatever. Just give this frugal Swede that discount!

At 55, I don’t particularly feel older. But I have noticed that I think more and more older thoughts. Often while I swim at the pool I many younger folks with their lean bodies walking around in their sleek swimsuits. Sometimes I feel like going up to one of them, shaking them by the shoulders and telling them, “Don’t let yourself go! Don’t stop exercising and learn to eat right.  NOW while you’re young.” Yep. That’s an older thought alright.

Here’s another one. Sometimes when I’m out and about running errands around town, I’ll see an older lady, with her younger daughter with her baby. I can’t help but smile. Seeing people like this reminds me of how my elderly mom ran errands with me, when my oldest was a baby. But when I see this, I feel like telling the young mom, Enjoy her. Your mom. You are so blessed to still have her! O.K., O.K., I admit. I have said this to a few young women. There ya go. I am my mother’s daughter!

Getting older is something we all do. None of us can stop it.

Just be careful you as you cruise through life that you don’t speed through too fast. Enjoy the ride.

Walking Together

I love this picture! This is my husband, Danny, taking a walk with his Dad. This was back during the time when my father-in-law would take daily walks on the road by his northwest Tennessee home. It was also during the time when he would wear overalls all the time. Sweet memories!

Sometimes scenes catch my eye and I know I just have to take a picture to capture the moment. This was one of those times. So glad I did because the opportunity for my husband to take walks with his Dad are long gone. My father-in-law passed away a little over a year ago.

I love this picture because it speaks volumes to me. It speaks of the importance of spending time with loved ones. Doing something together, enjoying time together. We are so often so busy that we forget to take time out to just be with someone. And the thing of it is, there is no guarantee that person will always be there. Because they won’t. That’s just life.

This may sound too simple, but I really believe that much of the world’s problems would be solved if more people would grasp that…

• Each person is unique and comes with different views on life.
• Despite our differences, we can find common ground, we can walk together.

To find that common ground, people must focus on the things they do have in common. For the areas in which they disagree, they must agree to disagree.

When we focus on our differences, there will be conflict. Every. Time. But it is possible to agree to disagree. In some cases, this will be the only way we can maintain a relationship with someone. If that’s the way it is, so be it.

We must love, whether we agree on everything or not and do unto others as you would have them do unto you is still some of the best relational advice ever given.

I am very thankful for the people who have chosen to walk through life with me.

Who do you need to take a walk with today?

 

How can two walk together unless they be agreed?

—Amos 3:3 KJV