Great Shampoo Bar Exchange-Great Cakes Soapworks

 Great Cakes Soapworks Shampoo Bar

It is important to note, that I have very thick hair that is untreated-no color, no perm. I wash daily, dry and flat iron-my hair goes through a bit of abuse. I find it is most important to be able to comb through my kind of hair easily due to the thickness factor.Also, here in Lubbock generally water is quite hard-a factor to consider when looking at how a product rinses out of your hair.

The first package I received, was Amy's from Great Cakes Soapworks, many of you know Amy for her generous feedback relating to her soapmaking experiences. She is a gifted and talented maker of several Bath and Body products and even more importantly a very kind person. 

 

First Impression-

My first impression of Amy’s shampoo bar was how nice the size seemed to be. I thought it must be perfect for the nimble dexterity needed to work up a generous lather for hair washing. The next delicious noteworthy quality was the beautiful aroma emanating from the bar-right off I detected lemongrass, but with a subtle zip of mint in the background delicious! I love the idea of something citrusy for my hair.

The shower-

Amy’s shampoo bar did not disappoint. The size was just a perfect fit for diligent lather action-lather was vivacious with a creamy conditioning feel to it and still my favorite element the scent is fresh and appealing. As I do with my shampoo bar- I used a rinse of Apple Cider Vinegar and water so as not to skew any results and because I find that is the secret to a clean rinse and easy comb out.

The comb out-

During the comb out/hair drying process I noted some areas of resistance. The comb did not go through my hair with the ease I have gotten used to. My hair seemed to revert back to the way it was in the beginning of developing my shampoo round-I believe this is not a formulary issue but perhaps a super fat issue. I found with the experimentation that I did regarding shampoo that a low super fat (even though it seems counterintuitive) is best for my hair.

Please understand that reviews are always very subjective and never the final word on how wonderful or not so wonderful a product is. I have come to the conclusion in participating in this review process that different shampoo bars meet different hair needs much like commercial shampoo products-there is no "one size fits all" formula out there.

Barley and Hops- Fall Edition 2011

  Barley and Hops- Fall Edition 2011

Autumn-the season for tailgating, football games,the glowing orange orb of the Harvest Moon, bon fires that light up the West Texas sky, and the crackle of fallen leaves. 

Actually, after using a tiny scrap of Barley and Hops-Fall Edition 2011-I would like to recant the previous description. Made with Nut Brown craft beer, this soap greets you with a definite note of zesty lime followed by a bit of sweet pipe tobacco in the background.(keep in mind this is still a very young soap and that I had to add a bit of water to my formula to work with the clove-so it will be evolving for just awhile longer than most.) My nose does not separate out the patchouli at all, but instead I think it melds with the clove and maltiness of beer to create a sweet pipe tobacco background note. Also, I noticed that this is most definitely a very bubbly brew that won't disappoint in the lather department. This soap will be ready after Sept. 6, 2011.

Now Listed-Rosemary Citrus Shampoo Rounds

Rosemary Citrus Shampoo Round-3.75 oz. $5.00

Rosemary Citrus Shampoo Round-Featuring wholesome ingredients that simply clean and nourish your hair. This solid shampoo is a special blend of oils infused with Chamomile and scented with the refreshingly clean scent of Rosemary Citrus.

We recommend a vinegar rinse to go along with the use of your Rosemary Citrus Shampoo Round -the recommended rate of water to vinegar is 1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar to 1 quart of water. You can then store this mixture in a plastic bottle and keep it in the shower ready for use. I keep my vinegar rinse in a plastic squeeze bottle purchased at the dollar store and find it is perfectly easy to use. I apply the vinegar rinse each time I shampoo and rinse completely (or if you prefer) you can use a rinse only a couple of times a week to keep your scalp pH balanced.People often ask,"does your hair smell like a pickle or salad?" and the answer is "no,once your hair dries you will not smell the vinegar."

New to solid shampoo? You may find that you hair needs an adjustment period. Don't give up after 2 or 3 days-the switch from commercial to handmade takes a bit of time.

Why use a solid shampoo?

Packaging is minimal and ingredients are simple and wholesome.

Rosemary Citrus Shampoo rounds contain only natural ingredients.

Solid shampoo is very convenient for travel, camping, or the gym.

Solid shampoo is completely bio-degradable and earth friendly.

Refresh Mint Redo

Refresh Mint-Rustic and Clean 4.5 oz. $6.00

Refresh Mint-Feel refreshed with a perfect blend of cool clean Spearmint and Japanese Peppermint- this soap is brisk, fresh, and rejuvenating - a great choice for a morning wake up soap or as an end of the day pick me up. Unisex

I've decided to discontinue beveling my bars for a couple of reasons- 1)the customer get's a little more bang for their buck 2) the crisp edges fit my packaging much better. The result is a slightly more rustic look that I like-how about you?

Fresh Air in Blue and White

 Fresh Air in Blue and White-the new look 4.5 oz. $6.00

Blue and white represents the clouds and sky. Imagine a beautiful day-a walk amongst majestic conifers.

Fresh Air-a breath of fresh, clean evergreen craftily mingles with a hint of peppermint giving this soap the refreshing, aromatic scent of coniferous forest carried on an early morning breeze. Unisex

Oh Happy Day

To celebrate Lucille Ball's 100th birthday the Hallmark Channel is having a "Birthday Bash" = "I Love Lucy" all day. Hot dog!!! So if you are an "I Love Lucy" fan like me-I know what you'll be doing all day. : ))

Drumroll Please......and the Winner Is

 Barley and Hops- Nut Brown

Remember this little contest to see who could recommend the most interesting "Fall blend" for the latest version of beer soap.After much debate, I have decided that perhaps the blend that I think would be most complimentary with beer for my Autumnal beer soap is Cocobong's suggestion of Patchouli,Lime and Clove Leaf. I currently have a summer soap with a blend of Lime, Clove Leaf and a touch of Patch-but the appeal of having Patch in the lead with zesty notes of lime and clove has won me over-I think this is a superb blend for the nutty, malty aroma of beer.

I want to genuinely thank all those who offered suggestions-there were several fabulous ideas-it was very hard to choose. I think I may actually end up trying a few of these ideas before all is said and done. Thank you all so much!

A Port - in the Storm of Life

Life has been busy and full of unpredictable ups and downs. I'm so glad I have soap to come to-when I need to find my center. Soap, a predictable reaction that unless effected by human error will always perform the same way. Essential oils calm and soothe me. Soap is my comfort food-it feeds my soul.

Quote of the Day

"Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit." Lillie Langtry ~

"Summertime... and the Living Is Easy" Lemon Penne Pasta

This is what I've had for lunch a couple of times this week-I love this recipe-it's perfectly summery and oh so easy (Two qualities I love when it's my turn to cook.)

Dressing
1/4 virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove of garlic minced or put through the press
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper

>>>>>>>>>
1 Package of Penne Pasta
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 package of baby spinach

Top with Parmasan Cheese

You could also add:
Basil
Pine Nuts
Arugula (in the place of spinach)
Capers

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt,garlic and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10minutes(the pasta I buy says 11 minutes and in my experience 11 minutes is perfect.) Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, spinach, petite diced tomatoes. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.Top with Parmasan cheese and pine nuts if desired.

Quote of the Day

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.
- Bill Cosby

Paying It Forward

My blogging/soaping buddy and all around good friend Amy-over at Great  Cakes Soapworks has honored Tierra Verde Handmade Soaps with "The Versatile Blogger" award. If you make soap and read soapy blogs-you probably know Amy-she is known for her generous sharing of information and techniques. Her soap is always beautifully executed and most definitely a testament to her own unique style, but most of all Amy is a lovely person that I am honored to know.

I borrowed this information regarding the award from Amy's blog.

The concept behind the Versatile Blogger Award is to follow a few rules and then pass it on to whatever blog you think deserves it. The rules are:
1 – Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award (and include their website address)
2 – Share 7 random things about yourself
3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won

Now on to the 7 random things, hmmmmm

1) I am a huge "I Love Lucy" fan-I love that era-the clothes, the humor, the writing-it's all so innocent and genuinely funny with out being torrid.

2) My husband is 2 years younger than me.

3) I've read all of "Gone With The Wind."

4) One of my favorite movies is "The Sound of Music." Yep, I'm a bit of nerd.lol!

5) I used to have a crush on Cat Stevens.

6) I was THE swim team in high school.

7) I was five years old when we had a devastating tornado here in Lubbock-and I remember bits and pieces of it. I used to be mortified of thunder,lightening and storms-but I have since overcome that fear and now I love storms.

Now to pay it forward-because I think this is a fun way to learn interesting tidbits about my blogging buddies. I would like to nominate the following blogs.

Inner Earth Soaps
Cocobong
Jenora Soaps
Joyful Soaps
Revive Bath and Body
Two Blooms Design Studio
Simply Soap

Fresh Lemon Has a Fresh New Look

Fresh Lemon - Garden fresh lemons; Sunny and bright with a note of earthy green, a perfect way to revive and refresh your senses. Pure essential oils provide fabulously fresh scent and a happy yellow color to the soap while olive oil infused with calendula calms and soothes your skin.

Fresh Lemon has always smelled fabulous now she has a fresh new look! The newest edition of  Fresh Lemon will be ready  Aug. 11. 2011-until then there are still a few bars of the previous edition left. Pick yourself a Fresh Lemon today!

So, this photo is the first taken on the manual setting. I find yellow a very difficult color to get right-it washes out very easily looking almost white(hint-white balance is your friend.lol!) I wasn't able to get a good yellow via manual-this is a photo my husband took. I am going to work on learning the manual side of photography, mostly because I've noticed that when you do get a feel for the settings-the colors just come alive in a way that Auto photographs just do not. I think it may be a long journey for me, but in the end so worth it. 

 

Quote of the Day

"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul."
-Yiddish Proverb

What's On Tap for Fall? Help Me Create "The Perfect Fall Blend" and Win a Free Bar of "Our" Creation

Pale Ale- "Barley and Hops"

Plans are underway for a few special soaps for Autumn-one of which will include an intoxicating bubbly brew of beer and a specially fitting essential oil blend. Help me create the "Perfect Fall Blend" and win a free bar of "our" collaborative efforts.

Here is the theme-
Autumn-the season for tailgating, football games,the glowing orange orb of the Harvest Moon, bon fires that light up the West Texas sky, and the crackle of fallen leaves.

The soap will consist of a beer base- Beer provides a warm nutty canvas for spicy notes of cinnamon and clove, or perhaps a bit of lavender and anise... just like the ever popular bubbly beverage can be infused with the subtle taste of wood,spices,fruit, and grains;beer soap can be infused with subtle nuances of scent. Help me select a special blend of "nuance" for a limited edition Autumnal Beer soap and win a free bar. Make a suggestion based on these choices of essential oils.What essential oil blend speaks Fall to you?

Sweet Orange 
Lemon
Cedarwood
Lavender
Pink Grapefruit
Anise
Clove Leaf
Rosemary
Vanilla
Bergamot
Blood Orange
Fir Needle
Spearmint
Peppermint
Litsea
Cinnamon
Lemongrass
Ginger
Mandarin
Lime

Suggestions will be taken until July 30.  I will make a choice based on-

1) How closely the blend fits the theme
2) How nicely the essential oils will play together
3) How complimentary the blend is to beer

*Sadly this contest is applicable for US and Canadian residents only.(A big apology to my international friends.)

Easy Peasy Basil Tomato Pizza-It's What's for Dinner

 

I had some homegrown basil and was looking for a way to use it-ahhhh pizza is a great idea. We started out with a store bought crust (but of course you could make your own)with which we drizzled some EVOO on; followed by pizza sauce (again store bought)followed by a bit of an Italian cheese blend, thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, fresh sweet basil, finely chopped garlic and a bit of sea salt. The resulting delicious masterpiece is my new favorite pizza. I am just not into the Pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, hamburger-pile all the meat you can find type of pizza. I love this because it's so easy and fairly nutritionally sound- give it a try!

Steps to Take if Supplies Arrive Damaged (and a Vent)

So, what do you do if a driver (affiliated with a well known shipping co.)leaves this on your porch-doesn't ring the doorbell, and runs to his truck?

1) Take photos immediately before you move the damaged, contaminated,oozing, grimy product.
2) E-mail supplier with photos attached
3) Call supplier who then advises you to file a claim with (well known shipping co.)
4) File a claim immediately with (well known shipping co.) They will ask a plethora of questions and then you are required to keep the dilapidated, oozing, sad, useless,dirty, filthy, grimy bucket of stuff  for 5 days in case the (well known shipping co.) wants to investigate. Shipping co. then notifies supplier who then makes the decision whether or not to send said supply again. Ugh! (rant over)

Business Tip Tuesday-Seven Tips to Make Your Customers Love You

These days when every customer counts, what are some steps you can take to keep your customers in your corner ? Over the next 7 weeks I will post 7 ways to make your customers love you. Tip #5 Never Assume

Never assume. You may think you know what your customers want. A high percentage of new businesses fail because they try to create demand where there isn’t any. Test out your market and start small, build your product around the wants, needs and desires of your target market. A great way to test your market is to introduce your product to friends, while also working shows and markets to see how your product sells. Is there a good amount of repeat business, are you receiving wholesale inquiries? Listen closely to what customers tell you about your products, is there something you need to improve on, are they requesting a larger variety? Not only will you be able to get a better handle on your customers needs by listening to their input,but you will also be able to exceed their expectations creating a win/win situation for both customers and your business.

Quote of the Day

"Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life."
Wayne Dyer

Beautiful Thing Friday

Check out this gorgeous Dahlia from Foxland Growers-Shallowater,Texas