When last we journeyed into natural color (The Thing about Natural Color, Part 1), I had reported my experience of the pros and cons of natural (plant-based) vs. synthetic/processed (micas, oxides and other mineral-based) color in soap making. I'm currently engaged in a plant-based, soap color challenge where mineral-based color isn't permitted. Read on for how I approach coloring soap using only botanical color...
A few years ago I helped my parents downsize their home in preparation for a move to a place with a third of the living space.If you've ever had to sort through years of possessions, you know: it can be a hugely time consuming, emotionally fraught job. Especially debilitating for those who have lived through lean times and developed a fear of "someday" needing the item they're letting go of. Or a feeling that parting with that item means releasing the good feelings of the time or person associated with it. In my parents' defense, I'm not immune to attachments to objects/nostalgia, though I do attempt to continually clear the build-up of possessions and clutter (it's ongoing and often overwhelming, honestly). In their day, things were likely quality handmade, rare, pricier, but made to last and therefore "dear."...
