Dropping By… With Soap Photos!

Hello!
I apologise for the scandalously long hiatus between posts.
And thanks to Gail and Pj with their lovely little notes today!

I think I am just having a really challenging year. So motivation to get on and do a whole slew of things that need to be done or even things I enjoy that I WANT to do have been falling by the wayside.

In the last week I have finally gotten back in to making soaps for my own stock and not just the ones I need for the soap workshops.

And yes,… its time to start getting stock ready for Christmas!

I’ve decided I am not a fan so far of 2023.
I’ve had two notable wonderful highlights… All my family visiting first thing this year and of course Japan, which was truly amazing.

Naturally, losing Pip has hit us incredibly hard. Its six months on and I have cried every single day. Sometimes a brief squall… sometimes a lot more. Sometimes it just hits in awkward places where people can see you or you have to walk away to wrestle emotions back under control. Jeff hasn’t fared that much better to be honest. (He cries less in public tho)

I know its supposed to get better with time.
Pip was just an integral part of who we were as a family… so time is not doing its job just yet.
Still, we have to function and be out there and work and participate and talk to people. Its just harder.

And around us this year have been other friends/family with their own losses.
A lot of pet loss, including my parents feisty little cat Millie only a few weeks ago. 🙁
You can imagine the soggy phone calls!
Sadly also losses of people, a close friends Father and a family friend, a lady only a little younger than me, which always comes as a shock.
So no, 2023… you are not quite my favourite year.

The weather has been dismal. Dark. Rain and generally miserable.
That never helps!!
Hence my motivation really not being in its tip top form.

Gosh thats a dodgy photo!! Oh well!!
Some snaps are just via my tablet.

So thats really the basics of how I’ve managed to procrastinate a whole month since sitting here to write stories and share photos.
I’ll quit with the Woe Is Me part of the post. I just didn’t want to keep skimming over how we were really doing. Life isn’t always pretty smelling soaps and Tassie beaches. Sometimes it gets a little sucky.

I am pleased to be getting back into the soap making. I think I have missed it.
I still do one or two workshops each month and those classes are really enjoyable. People seem to really have such a great day and I’ve always received encouraging feedback from them

Another dodgy photo but was thrilled with that design

Even got a little creative with a new design…

Doesn’t look too exciting until the cut

Wonderfully big super chunky soaps.
I plan to present them somehow as a wrapped gift soap.

I have been getting some garden stuff done little by little. I would really like to make a better effort this season. And also hope for the weather/climate to behave in a rational manner to help me along!
I have been taking photos, so I have images there ready to share to show you the bits and pieces that have been happening.

I also stupidly looked at some youtube videoes about junk journalling.
It seemed like a fun thing to play about with.
(The cover is one of Jeff’s cereal boxes and the main lot of papers are just normal paper soaked in coffee and dried off in the oven.)

Meanwhile I get further and further behind in making headway on decluttering the house…

It is fun though… especially if you are like me and adore all things stationary.

Right now its all about glue and paper and a sense of optimism.

So thats me getting back in touch.
I will honestly add blog posts to my list of ‘Things Not to Ignore’ and get back into the swing of it.

Until next time, here is a pic from todays hike… my first hike in weeks!!

xx