National Scrapbooking Month is coming up...

...and we've got something great for you!  Make a purchase of $35 or more beginning April 17 and you can get this Dotty for You paper pack for only $5.00.  That's a nearly $15 savings.  And you'll love the bright, cheery colors and fun designs. 

I've got a workshop coming up so keep Dotty for You in mind if you'd like to participate! 

Here's a video: 

Spring Glorious Spring!

Spring is my absolute favorite season; the trees are green, the flowers are blooming, the weather is fairly mild.  Am I worried that Spring arrived 3-4 weeks earlier than normal?  Sure, but I am not going to let myself think about it.  I am just going to admit the fact that we now have higher temperatures and figure out how to handle that during the hottest part of the summer.  I suppose going to the pool will help.  Amazingly, the pools open a mere seven weeks from now.  Wow, where does the time go?

We planted 19 lavender plants last week, mostly the Provence variety.  We did have some Grosso as well.  We amended the soil with sand and gravel since lavender plants don't like wet feet.  One plant looks a little weak, but it looks like most of them will probably survive.  We still need two more plants and we will add mulch next weekend.  And I need to find a fairly inexpensive bird bath or fountain for the front rose garden.  Then we will feel like our front garden will be pretty much finished. I can't wait to enjoy the lavender flowers in about two months' time.  However, if this warm spell continues, I guess I could have my first blooms later this month.  Wouldn't that be something? 

I will post more pics once we add mulch to our garden.  I hope you are having a sunny, wonderful spirng! 

Thinking about scrapbooking!

I am looking through the wonderful Close to My Heart Sprng and Summer catalog.  I can't wait to get my hands on the beautiful papers and stamps!  I plan on having a workshop in late April.  Care to join me?

Finally, a new soap is ready!

This is an invigoratingly fresh spearmint eucalyptus soap.  I look the subtle scent and the clean feeling of showering with it.  Check out My Etsy Shop .  Thanks!

A delightful lavender soap

Well, I have finally discovered how to swirl colors in soap.  I combined that knowledge with a delectable lavender essential oil from Jardin du Soleil in Sequim.  Put two and two together and voilà:

On the curing rack on January 24. It will be ready around February 21, just in time for my birthday!  Happy soaping!

Happy 2012!!!

I hope 2012 will bring

more happiness than sadness,
more fortune than misfortune,
more hope than despair

for us all.

We made two types of soap this weekend.

English rose was made with rose clay and English rose fragrance oil.  It is on the curing rack so I imagine it will change somewhat when I bring it back out in a few weeks. 

The other soap we made is lilac scented, but it's just been put to bed and is not ready for its debut just yet.  More on that later.

2012 will be the year we go whole hog on our soap business.  We've changed the name of our company to something more pronounceable:  Prairie Sunshine Soaps. 

Look out, soap world, here we come!  :)

Just listed our first soap on Etsy!

It has been a long time coming, but we are finally happy enough with our homemade soap to list one on Etsy.  It is a delightfully frragrant gingerbread vanilla soap.  We packaged them with Christmas scrapbook paper and homemade labels.  We are also giving some as gifts for the holidays coming up. 

Thanks for reading! 

Our Etsy shop