Handmade Bath and Body Recipes and Tutorials - Because Clean is Not an Option!

Handmade soaps and bath and body recipes are fun to create, gift and use! I love creating my own bath and body products and sharing them with the world through my online shop, Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. But sometimes it's even more fun to share the how to of my projects so you can try it for yourself! I have a collection of my own soapmaking tutorials, recipes and links consolidated for your convenience on my website here. I've also collected my handmade bath and body recipes and links into one place on my website as well. You'll discover that crafty collection here.

But now what I really want to see are all of the things that they've you've made! If you have a diy bath and body tutorial or recipe, then link up! I love discovering new projects, and this way you've not only shown me something new, but you're sharing it with others to discover as well!

Link Up! It's a Bath & Body Link Party!

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DIY Tutorial: How to Make Handmade Art Collage Note Cards

Making your own art collage note cards is easy. It just requires a few paper products, some glue stick, scissors and your imagination. This tutorial will walk you through how to make your own custom collage note cards featuring tiny owls.

Original art collage note cards featuring love birds. © Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

What you'll need:

• Standard 8.5" x 11" cardstock
• Assorted scrapbook papers
• Glue Stick
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Paper Cutter
• Ink Jet or Laser Printer/Copier
• Pen
• Markers (optional)
• 5.5" x 4.25" envelopes

Here's what you do:

1. Start by measuring out your backgrounds for your collage designs. Each sheet of cardstock will serve as the base for two original works of art. You'll need to measure and cut two rectangles from the background paper of your choice for your first set of two cards. These rectangles will be 4.75" wide by 3.5" high. Take your measurements then draw lines to connect the marks. A ruler works best for this. Unfortunately the boy commandeers all of my rulers and all I had left was a measuring tape.

2. Once you have your first rectangle, cut it out and then proceed on to the next.

3. Here are the two backgrounds I cut out. This is how they will look laid out on your cardstock. Remember that half the width of the cardstock is 5.5". Once you've completed your collages, you will glue your backgrounds with the final art horizontally onto the bottom half of the cardstock. Be sure that the backgrounds are a quarter inch from the bottom of the page and that they are center within their own 5.5" sections on either side of that imaginary divider line.

4. Cut out your shapes for your owls and any other imagery you'd like to use in your artwork. Use different colored or patterned papers to represent shapes. If you don't have a paper in a color you need, simply flip it over to the white side and color it with marker before cutting out your shape. The basic shapes for the owl are pictured above. A circle for the body, smaller circles with dots colored on for the eyes, a triangle for the beak, and circles halved and shortened for the wings. 

5. Once you have all of the shapes you need for your design, piece them together and arrange them to suit your taste. Once satisfied with your arrangement, glue the elements to the background.

Seasonal Bird Note Cards © Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

6. You would then glue your collages to a piece of cardstock as instructed earlier. Remember, based on the measurements of your background, place the images a quarter inch up from the bottom. You can draw a light line down the center of the cardstock at 5.5" to center your artwork onto either side so they are center with the edge of the cardstock and the center of the cardstock. Be sure to erase the line completely afterwards.

Here are some more images of note card designs I created:

Seasonal Bird Notecards © Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

Love Bird Note Cards © Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

 7. Once you've created your template for your note cards, all there is left to do is print off your cards! Simply place your card design on your copier and print out as many copies as you like onto cardstock. Then, using a paper cutter, cut each page down the middle so you are left with two single cards. Then fold the cards in half with the image side out. Pair each card with a standard invitation envelope measuring 5.5" x 4/25". These are available at any arts and crafts store. If you're looking to make large quantities to sell, I recommend purchasing envelopes in bulk from Clear Bags. Clear Bags also sells Flap Seal Crystal Clear Bags for protecting your cards from dirt and grime especially if they'll be on store shelves. They also allow you to bundle cards into sets.

To see more card designs I've created using this simple collage technique, check out my blog post "Before there was soap. Handmade cards and other paper crafts."

Do you still use paper stationery and note cards? If so, where is your favorite place to shop for paper cards?

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New Soaps, Markdowns, and Contests! Oh my!

It's only Tuesday but already this week is turning out great. I'm super excited about several things. First, I just unmolded my new Mango and Papaya Handmade Luxury Shea Butter Soap I made this weekend and it looks and smells fabulous! I can't wait to get this one into the shop!

Mango & Papaya Scented Handmade Luxury Shea Butter Soap

This moisture rich shea butter soap is handmade specifically for those with normal to dry skin. The scent of this soap is a fruity blend of ripened mango and juicy papaya. It contains shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil, rice bran oil and other skin loving ingredients.

Red Currant Handmade Scented Shea Butter Soap

I'm also hoping to get my new Red Currant Handmade Shea Butter Soap ready for sale over the next couple days. It's nearing the end of its cure time - a painfully long three week process - and I'm revved up to get it wrapped and labeled so I can add it to Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen for sale. This soap reminds me of the outdoors in summer when everything is in bloom! It's a little fruit, a little tart, and a bit of that good, fresh green summer smell.

Additionally, I've made a few markdowns in my shop for my soap fans who love a great deal. You'll now find six of my handmade shea butter soaps marked down 50% off - that's LESS than wholesale cost - to $2.50 a bar. They are: Nanny's Pumpkin Pie Soap, Bayberry Glycerin Soap,  202 Latin Night Soap, Hot Toddy Soap, Orange & Ginger Spice Soap, and my Tequila Sour Soap. Quantities are extremely limited so if you're interested in buying, then buy now! These soaps won't be making a comeback. I have also reduced prices on three favorites to just $4 a bar. This deal applies to the following handmade shea butter soaps: Lemon Lavender Soap, Big Lick Salt Bar, and Falling for You Soap. Additionally, all current orders will receive a free sample of my new Red Currant Soap while supplies last. So, what are you waiting for? Get shopping!

Handmade Goat Milk and Shea Butter Lotions

As if new soaps and markdowns weren't enough excitement for one day, I am also sponsoring two contests to win my products! The first contest is to win a $25 gift certificate to Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen hosted by The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. Visit to read a great review of my bestselling, Unscented Goat Milk Soap and to enter to win through July 14, 2011. Enter here.

The second contest is being hosted by Life in the Thrifty Lane and is open through July 4, 2011. You can enter to win a prize package consisting of the following handmade products from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen: 4oz. Mango & Papaya Lotion, Sexy Caitlyn Soap, Summer Honeysuckle Soap, Lemon Mint Soap, Banana Oatmeal Soap, and Exfolimint (tm) Peppermint Foot Soap. The total retail value of this prize is $28. So don't miss out! Enter here now.

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Before there was soap. Handmade cards and other paper crafts.

Around the time I started selling soap on etsy during beta in 2005 I was also selling handmade note cards. They were my first big "sell" before I finally switched over to selling only bath and body products. At that time I had a huge paper fetish and was always on the look out for interesting scrapbooking papers. It was also around the time I first discovered ACEO's. So my first note cards were of designs I created from collages using various papers. My owls series was my favorite.

These are my Everyday Bird Note Cards. I sold these in packs of four with one of each design. These actually came after my Seasonal Bird Note Card Set which you can still see on etsy from a sold transaction in 2008. The owl with the blue snowflake and mittens was always my favorite.

My final collection in the owl series note cards was for Valentine's Day and featured two different cards of owls in love. One card featured an owl delivering a love letter while the other was of two owls kissing in front of a giant heart on a branch. All of my card sets came in sets of four with envelopes and sold for $6 each. I also sold a Siberian Husky note card set in the same style.

In addition to note cards I also created and sold art prints. My most popular was the one featured above titled "Tree Art Collage." I also sold another similar art work called "Autumn Dreams."

The closet I ever got back around to making prints after the collages was with a few ACEO's in 2008 that I made from marker but never sold. 

This ACEO was a portrait of my now ex-husband. I actually described this one as "An original art card created from pencil and ink. Check out the husband in his happy blue eyeglasses. Everyone hates him because he has curls to die for." And then I also drew one I called "Shiny Red Boots."

My favorite love however is photography. Unfortunately, because I loathe product photography so much - mostly because I suck at it - my photo skills have fallen by the way side and I've lost interest in artistically photographing interesting subject matter. My favorite photograph in recent years, though, has to be the following.

I took this photograph of an orchid one afternoon downtown on my local farmer's market - the Roanoke City Market - on an unusually warm day in February. The soft sky background which is almost turquoise in color is actually the backdrop of the awnings we had to protect ourselves from the sun and weather while selling. I love how the orchid looks so strong and yet so delicate at the same time. This shot was taken with a Digital Canon Rebel XT and was not altered in any way.

Recently I purchased some chalk pastels and did a few sketches with those, but other than that I haven't done anything artistic lately other than to play with soap and spend time writing for my blog. You can see my pastel chalk drawings of a hamster and Cockatiel here and drawings of the now defunct Roanoke band Earndheart, a fox, and a barn owl here.  I'm really hoping to have the chance to play around with my new watercolors before the year is out.

What about you? Do you have any artistic endeavors? And if so, what's your favorite media?

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DIY Natural Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe

© Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

I sold an all natural foot cream down on the Roanoke City Market for years. It was highly popular year round, but I could only sell it during late fall to early spring because it would melt during the summer while I was vending outside. Since I have decided to no longer produce this product despite its popularity, I figured I would pass the recipe on to my faithful readers. It's rather easy to make and yields about 2lbs. of product. You can divide this up into eight 4oz. jars or four 8oz. jars and keep them stored in the refrigerator for longevity or gift the extras. Or, simply halve the recipe to make less. My foot cream was often sold in conjunction with my Exfolimint™ Peppermint Foot Soap.

My Peppermint Foot Cream is comprised mainly of natural shea butter. It's a great, all natural moisturizer with peppermint oil to refresh your feet and anti-fungal tea tree oil to keep your tootsies in tip top shape.

Shea butter is a natural fat that is extracted from the fruit of the Karite Tree found in West Africa. It is a wonderful moisturizer and emollient, and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Apply liberally to the skin to treat scars, eczema, burns, rashes, acne, severely dry skin, chapped lips, stretch marks, and wrinkles.

Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

4oz. unrefined cocoa butter
16oz. unrefined shea butter
8oz. fractionated coconut oil
3oz. Japanese peppermint essential oil
2oz. tea tree oil
.02oz. Liquipar Preservative (optional)

Directions:

You'll want to weigh all of your ingredients using an accurate scale. Melt the cocoa butter and shea butter together in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Once melted, stir in your fractionated coconut oil, peppermint essential oil - I use triple distilled Japanese peppermint oil because it has more of a peppermint candy smell than a medicinal smell, tea tree oil, and liquipar if using a preservative. Mix well with a spoon, then pour into your final containers. Screw on the lid and set in the fridge to cool until hardened.

You can purchase quality, organic essential oils and other ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Looking for an alternative foot cream recipe? Believe it or not my first foot cream recipe was a lot more complicated than this one and even more incredibly awesome. I'm not sure why I never marketed it, but you can make it yourself with my recipe! You can find my Lavender and Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe here. I made this often for myself and my family members.

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Wood Fired Pizza Recipes at the best place on earth! (Well, locally anyway.)

Last Saturday I had the joy of being in Floyd, VA at Dogtown Roadhouse to celebrate their one year anniversary. Which not only meant I was able to hear my boyfriend play bass in the band Grass Monkey live for the first time at this particular awesome venue - those Floyd girls can dance! - but I was also able to sample some superbly amazing wood fired pizza!

It got me thinking though. Wood fired pizza isn't local for everyone, although everyone should try it at least once. A good wood fired pizza can put any oven baked pizza to shame. So I did a little scrounging around and I found a great diy on how to turn your regular oven into a brick fire oven. This method kicks your oven up to 700+ degrees versus the regular 500 degrees. While it's not perfect - a "real" brick oven for wood fired pizza can take three people up to three days to build - it does offer some interesting results. You can find the how to for making your own pizza oven at boing boing. If you'd rather take the time to construct the real deal - because you know the foodie in you is just dying to! - there's a diy for building a pizza oven from sand at Instructables or one from bricks with free plans from Forno Bravo. They even make and sell kits for this, though you certainly don't need a kit to build one.

Once you have your oven you're going to want to try it out. And what better way than by baking - firing? - a pizza from a recipe created just for this style of oven! Feasting on Art Blog offers several excellent recipes for wood fired pizza with combinations that include Pesto, Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella and Parmesan as well as Arugula, Red Onion Marmalade and Goat Cheese; Feta, Parsley, Red Onion and Lemon; and even Spicy Sausage & Jalapeño! You can grab those wood fire pizza recipes here.

Have you ever tried brick oven wood fired pizza? If so, what's your favorite combination to eat and your favorite place to dine? Be sure to include the city and state in case we come traveling through your neck of the woods!

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Cucumber Madness: Cucumber recipes to empty your garden and fill your belly.

I live in Southwestern Virginia and the cucumbers are just starting to come in. While I love my cucumber simply sliced with a dash of sea salt, there are about a million other ways you can prepare cucumbers to eat. Here are a few of my favorite recipes I've found.

Quick Small Batch Dill Pickles. Add some pickling spices and vinegar to your sliced cucumbers for some delicious dill pickles! This recipe calls for calls for only about a pound of cucumbers and makes a small, quick batch. All you need are about 4 cucumbers, white vinegar, water, pickling salt, garlic cloves, peppercorns, pickling spice or flaked red pepper, fresh dill, and a handful of fresh olive leaves to promote crispness. They'll be ready in a month's time. You can find the recipe here. Alternately, if you don't want to wait, then be sure to check out this recipe for Easy Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles that are ready the next day!

Of course not every cucumber can made into a pickle, so here are some more yummy ideas for summer eating with cucumbers in play.

1. Ginger & Cucumber Sake Cooler. Libations with vegetables are not new. But this combination is sure to refresh you even on the hottest days. This recipe from Culinary Musings combines fresh ginger, cucumber and mint with some sake, vodka, club soda, and a touch of powdered sugar. While you can drink your concoction right away, you'll find that infusing the sake beforehand with the ginger, mint and cucumber will make a for a more satisfying flavor.

2. Celebrate an outdoor affair or tea time with this Cucumber-Watercress Sandwich Recipe from The Loving Spoonful. The recipes calls for English cucumbers, sandwich bread, unsalted butter, watercress leaves - these are my favorite! - coarse salt, and radish, onion or sunflower sprouts.

3. Make a delicious cucumber salad perfect for eating cold straight out of the fridge courtesy of bakedbree.com. This salad makes a great side dish but is also perfect for snacking if you're trying to not let the Cheetos tempt you. It's made from a combination of cucumbers, onions, dill, and salt and pepper to taste with a mixture of vinegar, water and sugar that's been boiled, the cooled for a dressing.

4. Tzatziki, the yogurt and cucumber dip. This delicious dip recipe from My Greek Ambition can be eaten on a variety of foods from bread to meat. It's homemade from Greek yogurt, and english cucumber, garlic cloves, dill, EVOO, vinegar and a dash of salt. It's quick and easy to make and is ready to eat after being chilled for 2 hours in the fridge.

What are your favorite dishes to make with cucumbers?

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Plating your table with one of a kind pottery. My dream.

When I got separated last May and then divorced this past January it forced me to move back home with my parents. I've been trying to get my life back together, but trying to do that with little to no money is a struggle. My ex had always been the breadwinner. If you've even been married and are now divorced, I'm sure you can relate on some level. Anyway, now that I have a part time job, things are starting to look up. It won't be long until I'll be able to move back out on my own again and get a tee tiny apartment that I can call mine. 

Magpie with Turquoise Flowers on Yellow Platter, $85

One of my favorite things about having my own place is not just that I can decorate it anyway I like, but that I can use my own dishes again. After spending several years down on the local farmer's market selling soap and buying from the local artists that also sold pottery there, not to mention quite a few etsy shopping sprees, I have accumulated a lovely collection of unique, one of a kind, handmade pottery pieces. Every piece is different and therefore special and unique. My goal at one point was to replace all of my glasses and traditional plates and bowls with pottery. I'm pretty set on mugs and canisters, but I am in need of more plates and bowls. Here are a few I found from pumphouse studios there are definitely going on my wish list. I love the fun designs and bright colors. They definitely give me something to look forward to when I finally do move out.

Martini Fish Appetizer Plate, $28

Yellow "27" Cow Plate, $32

Hedgehog Dish, $16

Magpie with Orange Dots on Chartreuse Platter, $85

Are you a fan of wheel thrown or hand sculpted pottery? If so, who's your favorite artist?

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DIY Makeup Bag Tutorial for all your cosmetic essentials.

I just love the way bunting looks when it's applied as an applique to products rather than being used strictly as a party decoration. So when I ran across this sewing project for a Bunting Cosmetic Bag Tutorial, I simply couldn't resist sharing it with you. After all, every girly girl has must have basics in her makeup ensemble, so a great makeup bag is prudent.

This tutorial comes to us from Just Another Hang Up Blog and produces a super cute bag that can be used for anything from makeup, to coins, to craft supplies. Make it your own through your fabric and color choices. You can get the skinny on how to craft this bag here. Then all you have to do is fill it up!

I have a specific list of "staples" that go in every makeup bag I have - those things that make their way into the travel bag even when the glitter eyeshadow stays at home. Here's what I'll be filling me pretty, new cosmetic bag with: Waterproof Mascara Remover from Green Beauty Cosmetics, mark. face xpert flawless touch makeup (foundation), mark. powder buff natural skin foundation, CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Mascara (waterproof), Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner, a brow and lash brush/comb combo, Revlon Powder Blush, Almay intense i-color powder shadow and CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain since my boyfriend can't stand the feel of lipstick when I kiss him.

Old Bruise Matte Eyeshadow, $5 from My Pretty Zombie

Speaking of makeup I'm always on the look out for new brands and types to try. After running across the beauty brand My Pretty Zombie on etsy, I'm psyched to add a few of their shadow to my wish list. Created by a gal who loves zombies almost as much as eyeshadow, she creates fun themed shadows named after things an old bruise, murder, black eye, gangrenous, scurvy, decay, nacreous alchemy, unicorn pee, and others. Don't let the names fool you though. These shadows are pretty as a picture. Shop online with My Pretty Zombie.

So, what do you plan to fill your new cosmetic bag with? Or what do you plan to keep around in the old one even if the new one doesn't quite make it to fruition?

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Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipes and Other Ways to Deter Biting Insects

I was outside listening to my boyfriend play the guitar on Sunday and kept getting bitten. It was enough remind me that it's mosquito season even though I'm not outdoors that often anymore. So I thought it fitting to share a natural bug repellent recipe that I found on Wellness Mama blog.

End of Time Bugspray, $6 from Good 4 You

There are a handful of widely recognized essential oils that possess properties that naturally repel biting insects. These oils include: cedarwood, lavender, lemon, patchouli, neem, peppermint, rosemary, basil, thyme, citronella, lemongrass, pennyroyal, tea tree oil, geranium, catnip, and eucalyptus. While the recipe from Wellness Mama doesn't include all of these ingredients, you can use any combination of essential oils you like based on availability or scent preference. Her bug spray calls for including an essential oil blend, boiled water, and witch hazel though you can also make a repellent using an essential oil blend and a carrier oil such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil or even rice bran oil which I like because it's light but effective. 

Wellness Mama Essential Oil Bug Spray

Ingredients:

• Essential oils: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Distilled or boiled Water
• Vegetable glycerin (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!

Be sure to visit Wellness Mama for other terrific recipe ideas including how to make bug repellent from fresh or dried herbs, a super strong insect repelling recipe, and other simple insect repelling ideas. There's also an article for making your own natural homemade sunscreen! 

Natural Patchouli Soap, $5 from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen

If you're not a fan of spray on insect repellents, you may want to try a handmade soap that contains essential oils known for repelling biting insects. While soap is a wash off product, my brother always takes a bar of my Lemon Mint Soap with him camping as it contains lemongrass and peppermint and claims it works great for keeping biting insects at bay. Alternatively, I also offer a Natural Patchouli Soap made from pure patchouli essential oil. You can also find a simple handmilled soap recipe for Bug Away Handmilled Soap on Soap Deli News if you prefer to make your own.

No More Bugz Organic Insect Repelling Balm - Travel Size, $3.95 from Green Girls Market

If you plan to be outdoors on a patio or garden area often, there are plants you can grow that naturally repel insects as well. These cultivated plants include: citronella grass, catnip, rosemary, peppermint, marigolds, lemon balm, garlic clove, eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender. Naturally having an herb garden that contains these plants by your favorite outdoor spot will mean fewer biting insects.

If you're looking to harvest wild plant varieties, you can rub vanilla leaf on your skin to deter mosquitoes. This also works with mugwort, sagebrush, wormwood, wild bergamot, sweetfern and pineapple weed. Note that the applications will only last up to one to hours and will then need to be reapplied.

What's your favorite way to repel biting insects and mosquitoes?

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Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Friday on my way to work I saw an ice cream truck. I seriously thought these things were extinct, but obviously not. This truck was larger than the tiny trucks we had as a kid - I guess size does matter *wink* - and it had the tauntingly eery, traditional ice cream truck music. Fortunately the music didn't sound like it was dying. Anyhow, it gave me a craving for some ice cream, so I dug around and found some fabulous recipes for DIY ice cream you can make yourself without breaking the bank. Now your waistline... I'm not so sure I can help with that.

Coconut Cream Popsicles. A ridiculously delicious and easy to make ice cream treat made with natural coconut milk, whole milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Compliments of Smile Monsters blog. Yum. You'll also want to check out the other recipes on this site for Lemony Lemon Popsicles and Mocha Latte Frozen Treats.

Image Copyright © Helene Dujardin 2011

Grilled Peaches, Poached Cherries, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Now this is an ice cream for foodie fans. It requires a bit more work to make the ice cream and then pit and grill the fruit, but the effort is worth it. This recipe would be perfect for summer parties or for saying "I love you" to your special someone. Grab this recipe on Tartelette blog.

Fresh Lavender Ice Cream. It won't be long til lavender is in bloom and what better way to use your plucked blossoms than in a delicious summer treat? This lavender ice cream recipe calls for 1/2 cup of fresh lavender florets, whole milk, real vanilla bean, vanilla sugar, heavy cream, and a sugar substitute. They recommend Splenda, but if you want to go all natural, opt for Stevia. You can find this recipe at Eat Drink Better Blog. (If you're looking for more recipes for your lavender blooms, check out this Lavender Margarite Recipe.)

Fennel Ice Cream. If you're far from an ice cream "traditionalist" you may want to try this incredibly unique recipe for fennel ice cream. Made with fennel seeds for flavor, "the cream takes on the essential flavor of the seeds, as you would expect, but the butterfat works to soften that flavor, rounding off its pointy edges, turning down the volume on the licorice notes, resulting in a taste that’s almost hard to identify: cool, herbal, smooth, even quiet. It doesn’t scream fennel, by any means. It mostly whispers eat me, ideally with a bowl of sliced strawberries." You can find this recipe at Orangette Blog.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! So what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

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Infuse a little love. Recipes for infusing vodka, sugar, and water for entertaining, gifting, or just enjoying.

infusion: an infusion is the outcome of steeping plants with desired chemical compounds and/or flavors in water or oil. Source: wikipedia

Water. Oil. Alchohol? Sugar? Lately I've been infatuated with recipes for infusions. After discovering a fun recipe for vodka infusion over at The Backyard Bartender, I went on the hunt for more recipes you can create just by mixing a little of this with a little of that. Here are some of my favorites.

1.) Adventures in Vodkaland. Infusing vodkas in a simple process and certainly easier than making moonshine. Not to mention legal. All you need is a great vodka - who wants a hangover, right? - an airtight jar, some edible herbs, fruits, veggies and spices, and time. The Backyard Bartender offers several infusion recipes. Combos include Vanilla Bean + Cardamom, Celery + Bay Leaf, and Fennel + Lemon. While not all of her ideas were entirely successful, it's really the fun of coming up with your own recipes then trying them out on your friends. 

For more vodka infusion recipes ideas, visit Taylor Takes a Taste. There are recipes for tried and true Bubble Gum Vodka and Limencello as well as new test recipes for combinations like Pineapple + Red Pepper, Honeydew + Cucumber, and Cranberry + Orange + Nutmeg.

2.) Inviting Waters. If alcohol's not quite up your alley, try making infused water instead. Martha Stewart recommends using rosemary sprigs, lime, and orange zest for a citrus-rosemary water. Or combine sliced ginger, cucumber, and mint for another refreshing alternative.

Donna Hay suggests flavoring your water with green apple and mint leaves, raspberries, or lemongrass and pieces of ginger as another tasty option.

3.) Make: Infused Sugars. Issue 3 of Joie Magazine offers some great ideas for making your own infused sugars on page 28 along with presentation ideas for those of you who love to give handmade gifts.

You can also grab ideas for scented sugars from Martha Stewart and a recipe for Vanilla Infused Sugar from Soap Deli News.

Sugar not quite your thing or just looking for a twist from the obvious? Style Me Pretty offers a diy for tangerine flavored sea salt. Sea salt with some zest from tangerines and lemons is a great way to finish off a fish or poultry dish.

Do you have a favorite infusion combo you like to add to your cooking? Please share!

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Unique Shopping Finds

What's more fun on a Saturday afternoon than a little window shopping? Well, buying of course! Here are eight of my top choices this week for fun and unique things you can buy.

1.) Recycled Necktie Wristlet 2-Pocket Gadget Holder, $20 from Tearful Touch
2.) Handmade Taco Teapot, $45 from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen
3.) WTF Bandages, $7 from Urban Outfitters
4.) Spriglet Hair Pin, $10 from Pretty Little Things
5.) Video Notebook, $20.99 from Animi Causa 
6.) Tea Bag Tea Infuser, $30 from MoMA STORE
7.) Junior Dachshund Bookends, $150 from Jonathan Adler
8.) Blue Owl To Do List Notepad, $8 from boygirlparty

Have you come across a fun and interesting product lately that you just had to add to your wishlist? Feel free to share your unique product find(s) in the comments!

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Happy Birthday! Celebrate the person with a gift but celebrate the gift with pretty packaging!

There have been so many people I know having a birthday this month, myself included, I thought it'd be fun to share some ideas for wrapping your gifts in the prettiest of packaging!

Photo by Ashley Ann Photography

I think using a mason jar is the most brilliant idea for packaging and it's a diy gift wrap idea and present in one. Recycle an old jar and fill with flowers then attach a handmade tag with hair pins for the perfect super girly birthday present! You can find this hair pin vase tutorial over at Under the Sycamore Blog.

1.) Wrapping your gifts in fabric versus paper gives it a better chance at being reused. The fabric used to wrap the present can be re-purposed either for a gift for a new recipient or utilized in an upcoming craft project assuming your recipient is a crafty chica. You could also wrap gifts in pretty tea towels and give two gifts in one! (via The Haystack Needle.)

2.) These origami gift boxes are not only beautiful, but handcrafted. Visit Lorajean's Magazine for a video tutorial on how to make your own.

3.) Adding pinwheels to the top of a package in lieu of a bow makes it both unique and fun. (via Style Me Pretty.)

4.) A different take on gifting a handmade origami box. Switch to matte, recycled papers and found scraps of ribbon and lace for an entirely different look. (via Giver'slog.)

5.) While this fun packaging was created specifically to house a delightful hot chocolate mix, there's no reason you can use the same concept for other gifts and tuck your presents inside a recycled mason jar. You could then mask the gift inside with doilies and twine. If you'd rather make and gift the cocoa, you can find the diy project for Last Minute Hot Chocolate and heart shaped marshmallows over at oh, hello friend blog.

6.) Put large, inexpensive rolls of butcher paper to good use. Wrap your gifts all the same, then dress them up with colorful yarn you find on clearance or just don't have a use for anymore. (via STC Craft.)

No wrapping paper on hand or it's simply not in the budget? Use up your leftover fabric - even unwearable sweaters - and ribbon scraps, even a few found objects you just felt were special enough to hang onto, by incorporating them into diy gift wrap like the packages featured above. Head over to Style Me Pretty for a diy on making a pom pom from fabric scraps and twine like the one featured in the center package.

What are your favorite types of materials to use for gift wrap?

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Staying on top of things. Printable lists for an organized day.

Things have been insanely busy for me lately since I started my new part time job. Running a business after work and on weekends is definitely more tedious thAn when I was simply working for myself at home. And after taking a day off for my birthday last weekend and another day to relax, I now find I've fallen behind with the day to day tasking of blogging, making soap and lotions, photographing my handmade products, and adding my new creations to my website. 

Fortunately, my boyfriend is headed to Guatemala next week for a job so it will give me ten good days to catch up and hopefully get ahead. I tend to enjoy my boyfriend's company a little too much - I mean who doesn't like good company from time to time - so it distracts me from the task of work and blogging in particular. I'd like to get back to having several days worth of blog posts drafted ahead of time - what blogger doesn't? - so when I take an evening off to see a band or get cuddles, I don't fall behind.

My solution, like it has been in the past when there's more work than time to accomplish it in, is to organize and prioritize with lists. Lucky for me I stumbled across the perfect site to help me get those lists completed so I can start working on things. The site is called Organized Home and it contains free printable lists for most everything imaginable. Their Household Notebook contains an array of printable pages that you can print and include in a binder. It includes a daily to do list, a master to do list, daily and weekly planner pages, a weekly chore list, a shopping list, a menu planner, inventory check lists and more. (I'm frantically printing pages as I type this.) Additionally, Organized Home also offers printable calendar pages and lined blank pages for any extra notes or bright ideas.

And, if you're really gung ho and the type to plan out Christmas starting in July, you'll definitely want to check out the free Christmas Planning eBook and Printables from Christmas Your Way that I mentioned in my post, Preparing for the Upcoming Holiday Season, last year. The free printable ebook contains a printable address book, baking planner, budget worksheet, calendar, cards worksheet, decor inventory, family traditions, gift ideas, gift list, handmade gifts, master-to-do list, order tracking and shopping list.

What do you do to help you stay organized and get things on your to do list done while still occasionally taking a break from daily chores?

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Everyday Homemaking Tips

I had such a great response to my homemaking tips last week - Helpful Tips for Everyday Success and Household Tips for Organizing and Living - that I decide to put together another collection of helpful tips for busy moms and homemakers.

1.) Use Coffee Filters for More Than Just Coffee. Coffee filters are multi-purpose. Grab them when in need of a substitute for something you don't have. They're great for cleaning glass and computer monitors. Detox your stinky shoes by filling a filter with baking soda, tying off with a rubber band and placing in your sneakers. Or you can even use it as a dryer sheet by placing a few drops of fabric softener on the filter, rubbing together, than folding in half.

2.) Sheet Storage. Store your sheet sets together in a pillow case. Not only does this keep the entire set together, but it makes for neater and more compact storage.

3.) DIY Watering Can. Take an old laundry detergent container and drill holes in the lid for an instant watering can that not only allows you to recycle a disposable container, but is sturdy enough to hold up to continued use. Plus there are no worries about water sloshing out!

4.) Keep Brown Sugar Soft. Use a marshmallow in your brown sugar to keep it soft.

5.) Ketchup Bottle as Pancake Batter Dispenser. Repurpose an empty ketchup bottle into a pancake batter dispenser and pour the right amount every time! It's also less messy and it makes it easier for making smiley face pancakes for the kids!

6.) Organize Upright. Create more room for your flatware by storing it upright rather than laying it down. I am constantly running out of room for my knives, forks and spoons and they often spill over into the next one's cubby. This solves that problem and allows you add more silverware to your collection for those holiday get togethers.

7.) Create a Kitchen Command Center. Keep all of your scheduling and menu planning in one place with a well organized kitchen command center. Your command center should feature a menu planning board, dry erase note board, magnet boards, and chore charts.

8.) Doggy Drawer. The dog doesn't live in the garage, so why store his food there? Instead use a deep drawer for keeping your pup's kibble along with a handy scoop for when it's time to dish out dinner.

9.) Nix Stains with Pantry Staples. Treat a variety of common clothing stains with products you have in your pantry. Egg yolk and luke warm water will remove a coffee stain. Just allow to set for a minute or two, then rinse. Get rid of blood stains, but immersing the fabric in very cold water, then sprinkingly heavily with salt. Scrub with soap and rinse. Plus more!

10.) Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner. Use a fresh cut lemon to clean your wood and plastic cutting boards. Squeeze the lemon juice on your board and allow to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. Voila!

11.) Use Baking Soda for Everything. Baking soda is the perfect household staple as it's great for everything from cleaning to deodorizing to hygiene. Use it in the fridge to keep odors away, as a mouthwash rinse, to clean grills, and even as part of your laundry routine.

12.) Revive Old Paintbrushes. You can revive old paint brushes by soaking them in hot vinegar then washing with regular old soap and water. This removes old paint and softens the bristles.

Do you have other great tips and ideas for organizing, cleaning, cooking, or just getting things done? I'd love for you to share them in the comments! Looking for unique ways to organize your office? Then check out my post, Home Office Organizing Tips and DIY Projects.

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It's wedding season. Do you have your wedding favors ready yet?

According the The Knot, the most popular months for weddings are June, August, September, and October, with December growing in demand because of the holidays. Getting married during less popular months could save you money on the reception site and other wedding services like catering, photography and floral arrangements.

But with a hot bed of wedding activity on its way this summer into fall, a lot of brides to be are in the planning stages now. Because of this I decided I'd post a few more handmade wedding favor ideas to add to yesterday's inspirational post on making your own handmade soap wedding favors. Here are just a few of my favorites.

1.) Rosemary Sea Salt Favors. A functional wedding favor that guests can later use on potatoes and in other cooking recipes. The top of the container is decorate with a the couple's monogram and the wedding date.

2.) DIY Succulent Favors. Succulents are by far one of the easier plants to grow, and they won't die if you forget to water them for a while. So gifting them as a wedding favor is a good idea even for those guests who have a black thumb rather than a green one. Plus they're easy to grow from cuttings allowing you to make multiple favors from just one plant.

3.) DIY Mexican Wedding Favors. Talk about fun in a bottle! Give the gift of either some virgin agave syrup or top shelf tequila in downsized bottles that you can then customize with editable, printable bottle labels. I'm sure these would be a blast in Christmas stockings come December as well!

4.) Spread the Love Label. Homemade jellies and jams are another one of those perfect wedding favors because they are consumable. Make and can your favorite jam recipe, then label with these completely customizable  Spread the Love wedding labels.

5.) DIY Wedding Favor Bags with a Twist. A simple and inexpensive, yet elegant way to create a wedding favor bag that you can then fill with the treats of your choice.

Other ideas I like are:

• Filling test tubes with bath salts or a spice mix and sealing with a cork. Tie a ribbon around the top where the cork goes with a tag stating the ingredients. (Inspired by these Organic Thyme Lavender Bath Salts in Test Tubes.)
• Making a cd of all the bride and groom's wedding play list for all of the guests.
• Crafting mini vertical wall garden magnetic terrariums that guests can keep on their fridge to remind them of your new union and keep papers in place.
• Fill small tins with loose leaf tea and apply a custom label.

What are your ideas for wedding or party favors that you think are the bee's knees?

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Handmade Soap Wedding Favor Tutorial

Wedding favors are a great way to thank guests and wedding party participants for both coming and helping you plan your special day. A popular wedding favor option is handmade soaps. Not only do they smell great, but it's something your guest can use and is less likely to be tossed aside.

Because wedding favors can be costly, you can save money by creating your own. Following is a tutorial for making your own custom favors based on ones I created (above) using a few basic supplies you can readily find almost anywhere.

To get started you'll need the following:

• Scissors
• Tape or Glue
• Scrapbook papers in your wedding colors and matching stickers
• Ribbon
• Handmade soap

First, you'll need to size down your soap bars. You can either make your soap or buy it. Keep in mind that if you are making your own soaps, you'll need to allow at least three weeks for them to cure before use. You can, however, wrap and decorate them as soon as they are hard enough if you are discounting your water. I'm using 4 - 4.5oz bars in a beautiful, red currant scent for summer. Cutting your bars in half makes it more cost effective. However, you're welcome to use full size bars if it's within your budget. Halving a 4oz. bar of soap makes a perfect guest size bar, though, and is extra special if your guests are traveling and having to stay in a hotel.

Next, wrap your soaps in paper. This is just like wrapping a present! It's not necessary to wrap your soap in plastic first if you are using cold process, handmade soaps as this allows the soap to breathe. However, you can wrap your soap in food service film first. Wal-mart's generic brand of cling wrap is perfect for this if you don't want to invest in a large roll of food service film as it sticks to itself and makes for a tightly wrapped soap.

Finish wrapping your soap and tape down the sides. The seams where the tape is can be covered length wise with ribbon if you don't want it to be noticed.

Wrap ribbon around your soap and tape in place. Or for extra durability, use a dab of glue from a hot glue gun. This seam will be covered by your sticker. Don't go overboard on purchasing ribbon. You can find nice ribbon on clearance anytime of the year. I bought this roll of white velvet ribbon on sale for a dollar.

Apply your sticker across the ribbon where you taped the seams together to the wrapped soap. I am using three dimensional stickers I received as part of a wedding scrapbook pack that was on clearance for $4. It contained an assortment of papers and different stickers and punch outs. Another idea for stickers is to use letter stickers as monograms for the soap packaging and use the letter of the couple's last name or a combo of letters from each of their first names.

Mix up which way you use your ribbon and vary your stickers and paper for visual interest. They don't all have to be exactly alike. 

Alternately, you don't have to wrap every soap in paper. You can wrap all, or just some, of your soaps in clear plastic wrap and use either ribbon or scrapbook papers cut into strips as your band around the soaps. Then top with a sticker.

And that's it! Just make as many favors as you'll need for the wedding party plus a few extras just in case. If you have extras left over after the party, tuck them in drawers to use as scented sachets until you get around to using them on your own. Or use them as stocking stuffers at Christmas, just swapping out the sticker if needed for something that could be used year round.

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