Serenade Handmade Soap

Oh! What a Knight!

2009-08-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend hubby & I went to Atlanta to see Sir Paul McCartney. This is the first trip we have taken alone since our honeymoon! Needless to say, it was long overdue. Since our anniversary is next month, we decided this would be our gift to each other. And dang!, what a gift!
This green concert was for Piedmont Park's expansion. Tickets ranged from $80 to $400 (VIP). Seating was general admission. Everyone brought blankets and sat out on the open lawn until the concert got started. Then everyone was up on their feet!
We met up with some friends and hung around in the blistering sun until the show got started. Then maybe 30 minutes into Sir Paul, it begins to rain. I mean POURING rain. We were soaking wet, drenched head to toe. But did I leave? Heck, no! It's not exactly how I envisioned my Paul experience but I wasn't moving a foot!
I was in awe at how this man is still rockin' at 67 years old. He definitely does not perform like he's 67! His voice sounds just like it did in the '60s and what ever instrument he's playing sounds perfect and crystal clear. I mean, that man could have played the alphabet song and made it sound good. The band was awesome too. I'm lovin' the drummer! They played for almost 3 hours! Including 2 encores! Amazing!
He dedicated 'My Love' to his late wife Linda and to all the lovers in the crowd and he played a little 'Foxy Lady' for his good friend Jimi Hendrix. He told a story about George Harrison giving him his ukulele and sang 'Something' for him. Clip on YouTube He also played 'Here Today', a song he wrote for John Lennon after his death. I could go on all day, but instead, here's the playlist:

Drive My Car
Jet
Only Mama Knows
Flaming Pie
Got To Get You Into My Life
Let Me Roll It
Highway
The Long And Winding Road
My Love
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Calico Skies
Mrs Vanderbilt
Eleanor Rigby
Sing The Changes
Band On The Run
Back In The USSR
I'm Down
Something
I've Got A Feeling
Paperback Writer
A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude
---
Day Tripper
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
---
Yesterday
Helter Skelter
Get Back
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/The End

There are some really great videos on YouTube. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday with Aidan in my lap watching video after video from the concert.
This was a "Bucket List" thing for me. I had to see him and it was well worth the money and 2 hour unexpected scenic detour (thanks, honey!). I do know that the next opportunity I get, I'll see him again! Oh! What a Knight!

5 Followers!

2009-08-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I just realized today that I have 5 followers! That makes me wanna get to soap making and share with you guys! Thanks friends for following me around!

Updating

2009-08-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a little blog backtracking and updating. So, to those of you who keep up with us, please take a look back at some new posts. I hope to keep things going a little better!

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. My little baby has become a Kindergartner. We've mentally tried to prepare for this day but when it comes down to it are we ever really prepared to pack up our babies and send them off for the whole day?
Aidan did great. He saw his friend, M and they were off. Hand in hand. M is a girl I've known since her birth. It's quite possible she will one day be my daughter-in-law.

I feel sick.
I'm not ready for this.

First Day of Kindergarten

Here we were just a short time ago.

It's important to remember that many have gone before us and survived, we will survive too.
But I do have a small distraction from the back to school butterflies, his name is Ethan. And we won't know what to do with ourselves! You never know what kinda trouble we might get into!

Ethan, 2 m0nths

My little men

Happy 5th Birthday!

2009-06-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Aidan is 5!

We did the usual Chuck E Cheese celebrating. Pizza, games, friends and tons of fun! Thanks to everyone who came. It was a blast!

Also, a big Happy Birthday to Sir Paul McCartney! We missed you at the party but the invitation is open for next year. In fact, the invitation is open for every year! :) I hope to see you very soon at your concert in Atlanta. It's ok if we don't get to say hello in person, I know you'll be very busy.

T-Ball

2009-05-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Aidan had a wonderful time playing t-ball this year. He would have played all summer if he could. We'll definitely sign him up for next year too.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

For all the special Mom's in the world, Happy Mother's Day! I got this beautiful Hibiscus from my family.

Welcome to the World!

2009-05-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, my due date came and went. I was so sure that this was an April baby. However, baby had other plans. :) So, let's backtrack a little.

Monday - April 27: Dr. appointment. Making progress but no baby yet.
Tuesday - April 28: Walk 1 mile
Wednesday - April 29: Due date. Walked 2 miles, still no baby.
Thursday - April 30: Walked 1 mile
Friday - May 1: Dr. appointment. Hooked up to fetal monitor, not a single contraction. No one can believe this baby still hasn't arrived.
Saturday - May 2: Walked 1 mile, went to grocery store, delivered soap order, went to local thrift store with a box of donations, had lunch with hubby & ARB, baked apple pie, hauled limbs to the road, took shower, had dinner and went to bed about 11pm.
Sunday - May 3 12:45am: Woke up with terrible belly pains. Thought about what I had eaten since it felt like a tummy ache but didn't get out of bed.
12 min later, another wave of pain. Ok, so his could be baby time.
10 min later, another wave of pain. Ok, this is probably baby time.
8 min later, another wave of pain. Ok, this IS baby time. Woke Adam up and went to bathroom. During the next contraction, hubby attempts a conversation. I tell him to get lost while I'm breathing deep and trying to focus.
So, during this time Adam tries to wake up Aidan. Aidan promptly tells him that he is sleeping and it's too early for him to get up. Finally, Aidan gets up and I tell him all he needs to do is potty and put on his shoes, it's time to go to the hospital. He goes into my bathroom and walks out brushing his teeth! Right in the middle of a contraction too! I almost could not believe it. Any other day I would have to threaten him or hold him down to get those teeth brushed! Why now??!! I looked at him and Adam immediately says, "It's ok, he doesn't know. It's ok. Come on son let's get your shoes." lol I laugh about it now, but it was NOT funny at the time.
2am: We leave our house. It's about 40 miles from my house to Northport Medical Center. We got to the south side of Tuscaloosa and the gas light came on. Super. So now we're trying to find a gas station that's open. We stop and Adam runs inside, throws $9 (all the cash he had) at the guy behind the counter (who takes his precious time counting it) and puts gas in the car. Meanwhile, he's trying to call his brothers to meet us at the hospital to get Aidan. No answer. Great.
2:38am: We arrive at the hospital. I walk in pointing at myself yelling, "BABY!!" The little old security guard gets me a wheelchair. I got into a room and I already feel a little better knowing that I won't be delivering on the side of the road. But my Dr. B isn't there yet. We called her from home and she informed the hospital. So, after I got hooked up and checked out, the nurses call her again and leave messages on 3 different numbers that I was going to be delivering SOON. Finally, Dr. B walks in (silent praise!). She had a dead car battery and had to get her husband out of bed to help her jump the car off. Great.
So, I'll spare you the next few details and jump right to the good part.
3:54am: Baby arrives

Ethan Reece Benefield
May 3, 2009 3:54am
8 pounds, 7 ounces
21 inches

This makes all the craziness completely worth it!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!

Back Porch Progress

2009-03-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

My sweet, sweet father-in-law came for a visit this weekend. Unfortunately, he never gets to come for just a visit, there's usually work involved. :) This trip was to lay ceramic tile on our back porch.

Work in progress

Done!!!

Of course, Aidan has to help too!

This last picture is where the washer and dryer will go. For those of you who have been to my house, you know that the washer and dryer are in the most awkward of places. Currently, we have to squeeze between the washer and the stairs to get to the back part of the house. Not good for a big 'ol prego!!!
I think he (and the rest of my in-laws) will be up for another 'visit' at Easter. Then, hopefully we can get the last few details of the porch finished.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

May those who love us, love us.

And for those who don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if he can not turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we may know them by their limping.

May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.

Surprise Baby Shower!

2009-03-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

The ladies from my church circle gave me a surprise baby shower last night at our monthly meeting. I was shocked!!! The ladies have been planning it for a month and Adam has known for a week. I walked into the hostess home and saw a pile of presents and "It's A Boy!" banner. All the ladies were just grinning because they had pulled it off without a hitch! So, we had our regular meeting with refreshments and then I got to open presents.
I received some very cute booties, outfits, blankets, infant toys, baby wipes, 5(!) packs of diapers, a couple picture frames, a book of Bible stories with a music CD and other various baby stuff. Now I have to find a place to put it all! :)
When I was prego with Aidan I didn't have a single baby shower. We were not members of any church at the time and no one volunteered. And really, that was fine. My feelings were not hurt, I wasn't upset but, we had to purchase everything ourselves or rely on family to give us stuff, which of course they did. We have great family that are very generous. We didn't go without anything that we needed.
I guess that's one reason I didn't get rid of anything. I mean, I have EVERYTHING from day1 with Aidan. And since that time, my aunt has given me a bassinet and a baby swing that she used with her children and no longer needed! (SCORE!!!)
It warms my heart to know these ladies care for us SO MUCH!!! Not only to give us a little shower but to keep it a secret and surprise me! It feels good to be loved! Aidan even got a few presents (So thoughtful!!!) which he opened immediately after I arrived home. He got a John Deere calender and a Big Brother shirt. He was so excited about his gifts.

We also received a Little Brother shirt for the baby. I mean, how adorable can you get!!!
A big THANK YOU to all the ladies involved. You made my week!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2009-03-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to several inches of snow. Aidan could not believe it, he's been wanting snow for a long time. So, after breakfast out he went! A couple hours later, I had to make him come inside.

Aidan making a snow angel.
He did not like laying down in the snow.

Bundled up for hours of snow play!

He was *SO* proud of his snowman.

Ain't he cute?!

Mardi Gras in Mobile

2009-02-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time in Mobile this weekend. It was Mardi Gras!!!
We took a little weekend trip with Derek and Heather Reeves, our favorite traveling buddies.

We saw three parades starting at noon and one that night. The night parade was the best!

Aidan waiting for the day parades to start!

Me & Heather

Me & Heather after a trip to the Pot-O-Gold

Aidan had a fit for one of these horns.

5 min later he broke it!

Derek had a fit for the net.
Then he made Heather use it!

Dragon floats in the Mystics of Time parade.

Our loot!

Moon Pies, frisbies, a Beanie Baby frog,
footballs, cups, a doll and beads!

Pay it Forward

2009-02-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

here are the details/rules:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER... Pay it forward

Soap Tip #1

2009-01-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Chipping away at a 10 lb block of cocoa butter will make you crave chocolate chip cookies.

Some Assembly Required

2009-01-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

We have assembled the crib! And there were only a couple of mumbled 4-letter words! :)
Aidan helped with the screwdriver and holding the sides. He has already started being a great big brother!

Please excuse the background mess. Our guest room became my soap room when the 'hobby' began and now it will become the baby's room. So, I have to become creative to find a new home for all my soapy things. The process has begun but there are still miles to go, and furniture to be rearranged.

They say it's your Birthday!

2009-01-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today is my hubby's 30th birthday! I've been sick but managed to muster up enough energy to bake a birthday cake. Twice in the past, I have attempted to bake Adam a red velvet cake. Twice, I have failed. The first time it was due to using plain flour instead of self-rising. (I did not buy the flour and until that day, Adam didn't know there was a difference.) The cake was completely inedible. We licked off some of the cream cheese icing and threw the rest away.
Today, I have the worlds best recipe from my Aunt Jane. She told me it was no fail. Well, I got everything out and got started before I realized that I didn't have any red food coloring. Yippee. So, instead I made it blue. :) I did cook it a little too long and the edges were a bit crunchy but I have to admit it wasn't bad. This was the first time I have ever made red, er uh, blue velvet cake that we could eat. I think the rest (cook time, etc) is just practice. Yippee!
Thanks, Juju for emailing the recipe to me!

Happy Birthday, Honey Bunny!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

I started the new year off with a nasty virus. I could barely get out of bed but managed to eat a few black eyed peas for good luck. Adam bought me some sparkling grape juice to toast the new year but I went back to bed about 10:30 pm. Sad, I know. :)

I hope everyone has a blessed year!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Aidan's Christmas List
1. Blue Lightsaber
2. Lightening McQueen pillow
3. A lot of different colored guitars
4. Green Dinosaur

He got everything on the list. I guess that Magic Reindeer Food really works! :) His favorite thing was the lightsaber!

Merry Christmas!!!

Magic Reindeer Food

2008-12-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Derek for making up a little bag of Magic Reindeer Food for Aidan. He had a blast sprinkling it in the yard to attract Santa's reindeer. And well, let's be honest, when Christmas time rolls around you can use all the help you can get to make Santa to stop at your house.
Magic reindeer food consists of sunflower seeds, oats and candy sprinkles.

Magic Reindeer Food

Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and shining path will guide them on their way,
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas with the Reeves

2008-12-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

Every year around Christmas time we get together with our good friends Derek and Heather Reeves. Derek also has an interesting blog, Randomness. Check it out.
This year, we went to their house for food, games and fellowship. We had such a good time!

Hubby & Me

Me & Heather

Me & Heather playing a game on TV.
I have obviously had too much food and sparkling grape juice.

Merry Christmas!!!

Aidan's Christmas Program

2008-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Aidan had his Christmas program at preschool. Maybe it's because I'm his mom but I could hear him singing over all the other children. Especially when they sang Jingle Bells, his favorite. And as we know, a Christmas program would not be complete without a visit from Santa!

It's a BOY!!!

2008-12-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today, we went to see my doctor for my ultrasound. Aidan got to go too! He had been asking about this day for months. He was so excited to "see" the baby.
When we were doing the ultrasound, Aidan was sitting in Adam's lap. As soon as she started, it was obvious that we would be having a boy. Adam leaned over and whispered in Aidan's ear, "it's a boy". Aidan looked up and replied, "but I want a baby sisser". lol
Later, Aidan informed me that we will be naming the baby John Deere. :)
The baby is measuring a few days ahead of where I am in the pregnancy (which is ok) and is approximately 10 oz. Dr B. said I already have a whopper. Oh boy!
Aidan was a big baby (9lbs 5oz) and having another one that big has makes me nervous. We just have to hope my body remembers what to do when the day comes! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here is just one of the many things I'm thankful for.

Happy Turkey Day!

Oh, By The Way . . . I'm Pregnant!

2008-11-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I just realized that some of you who read this might not know that we are having a baby. I've told a few people and family but I really haven't felt up to much computer time.
Actually, I haven't been doing much besides throwing up and feeling exhausted. No cooking, no soap, the very minimum cleaning, you get the idea. I felt this way with Aidan but it passed with the first trimester. Here I am at 16 1/2 weeks and still having some REALLY bad days.

16 weeks

I realize that this is not a great picture and I had just had a HUGE breakfast. :) However, maybe it will help everyone make a decision for the Baby Boy/Baby Girl poll. So, go now and cast your vote. We all know how important it is to vote!!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everybody! I know I haven't blogged in ages, don't know when I'll get back to regular blogging, but I had to share Aidan's halloween.

Aidan as Indiana Jones
The hat was a little big, but he loved the costume!

Our Jack o' Lantern
Yes, he has a jacked up grill. No pumpkin is perfect.

We had a fantastic Halloween this year. On Saturday, the 25th, we took Aidan to Southern Academy's Halloween Carnival. It was extra exciting for him since that is where he will go to Kindergarten next year. He saw some of his friends, played games, won prizes and somehow came home with a ton of candy and a 2-liter Orange Faygo. I think winning the 2-liter drink was his favorite thing.
On Thursday, the 30th, we went to Trunk-or-Treat at our church. Aidan brought home even more candy. It's done by our youth and they had out hand fulls of candy in an effort to leave as soon as they can.
On Friday, I took Aidan to a few houses. Main street in our town is one of the hot places to go. Every kid (and some adults) in town cruises up one side and back down the other. Almost every house participates. It's great fun for everyone.
I think this has been our best Halloween yet!

Who Wears the Pants in This Family?

2008-08-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

A good friend recently sent me this email. It is too hilarious not to share, but I did eliminate the names. If only I had a picture to go with the story . . .
Enjoy!

"We stayed up watching the gymnastics until after midnight. I am loving these Olympics! I knew I would probably be tired this morning, so I decided to iron last night. We wear jeans on Fridays, so I got a pair out of the closet and ironed my shirt. This morning I got dressed and noticed that my jeans had shrunk in the legs. They were all of a sudden too short. The pockets were shallower that I remembered as well. Well, strange things tend to happen in our laundry room. Mysterious bleach stains are most common, but I figured shrinking pants wouldn't be out of the question, either.

After putting on my shoes, I decided the jeans were just too short to wear. They are new, and have only been worn a couple of times, and I thought I had wasted my money. When I looked at the label, I noticed they were Chico's. Hmmm. I don't wear Chico's. I had on *My Wife's* blue jeans!

So I guess that proves that I do indeed wear the pants in our house.... mine and hers both!"

LOL :)

Back to School

2008-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

First Day of School 2008
(Don't you love the baseball lunch box?!)

School is back in session. For us, it's another year of preschool. We LOVE preschool. It's like real school but part-time. Plus, Aidan has the best teacher!
Part-time preschool allows me to get all the yucky stuff done (run errands, clean house, do laundry, make soap, etc) so I have more time for Aidan when he gets home. Usually, it's lunch and then a nap right when we get home. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I sometimes take a nap too. :) But, when the nap is over, it's fun play time.

Aidan in front of his cubby at school.

Swirling Challenged

2008-07-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

I love soap. I love to make soap. However, I am what I like to call "Swirling Challenged".
In the world of soap, swirling different colors together is considered an art. Well, it is in my soap world. You should see some of the things people can do with 2, 3 or even 8 different colors of soap, all beautifully swirled together. Blues, greens, pinks, yellows . . . the possibilities and combinations are endless.
So, maybe someone can tell me why is it I can swirl brownies but I can't swirl soap. See my brownies . . .

Yummy. I know. But I also love how the brownie and cheesecake parts are happily swirled together.
In 2007, I got to watch a swirling demonstration at the Alabama Soap Meeting. The demo was given by a veteran soaper. (Hi Sindy!) I was in awe of her technique and experience. She was laid back and fun to watch and listen to. I watched her intently, studied her moves and asked questions. Yet, when I got home and gave it my best try, it looked like crap. Not to mention the kitchen was covered in Red Oxide. I was still cleaning it up days later.
So, the end to my soap swirling days for a while. For now, I think I'll just stick to brownies! :)

Fun, Fun, Fun in the Sun, Sun, Sun

2008-07-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

For Aidan's 2nd birthday, he received a water slide from his grandparents. This is our third summer to use it and since we live in the south, toys like this are a necessity. Money well spent, in my opinion.

Guess who else likes the slide . . . DADDY!

I tried to get a picture of dear old dad going down the slide, but when he figured out what I was doing he quit. Figures.
Aidan had a blast sliding and playing in the little pool at the bottom. Great way to spend some time outside even when it's as hot as Hades.

Thanks For The Headaches

2008-07-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

As most of you know from a previous post, Aidan just had a birthday. He received a mountain of wonderful gifts. Including this one:

A beautiful set of blue drums from my Aunt Kay. It tickled her crazy to get these for him and I let her because I knew it would make both of them extremely happy.

In this picture, Elmo gets a turn to play a massive drum solo while Aidan sings one of his made up songs.

Hidden Valley Catfish

2008-06-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Some very good friends invited us to go fishing for the weekend. Granddaddy had recently purchased Aidan his very own fishing rod and it was time to try it out. Aidan quickly learned to cast and about 3 minutes later caught his very first fish! He was so excited!

Saturday was a full day of fishing, and after catching my first, I quickly caught what I like to refer to as 'The Fevahhh'. lol That led to a friendly competition between Heather and I. A 'Tournament', if you will. Nothing could stop us. Not even rain and numerous mosquito bites could calm 'The Fevahhh'. We kept going and in the end, a tie!

A big THANK YOU to the Reeves for letting out hang out for the weekend. It was hard to leave such a peaceful place. We can't wait to visit again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Today is Aidan's Birthday! Happy number 4!
We had a fantastic time at Chuck E Cheese! Aidan played games until he was about to drop.

We had pizza and cake, and then played some more games. I had the high score for the night in skee ball, no one could beat me! Then a small break to open gifts. He was loaded with tickets and was happy to cash them in for some prizes. Grand ticket total: 330! Know what you get for 330 tickets? Junk! He got some candy, several plastic bugs, a Superman tatoo, a plastic lizard and a pirate ring. (Thanks to everyone who came, spent money on games and gave Aidan their tickets!)
Aidan loved his cake, which warmed my heart. I love to see him happy.

NOTE #1: My skee ball high score was 380,000. And I have a witness.

NOTE #2: Today is also Sir Paul McCartney's birthday. We wish him the happiest of birthdays and many more to come. Sir Paul, if you ever to happen across this blog, please feel free to contact me. We would love for you to join us at Chuck E Cheese next year for birthday celebrations. And Sir, Aidan is a HUGE fan! In fact, he sang 'The Hello Goodbye' song (that's what he calls it) all the way home last night. No joke.

The Search is Over

2008-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that I have blogged twice already in the last 24 hours (unheard of!), but I had to share this with everyone.
I have spent months looking for Aidan's belt. One day here, the next day gone. Seriously. Not just looked but LOOKED, for MONTHS. We went to my cousin's wedding, no belt. Many Sundays at church, no belt. Today, Aidan decides to color in one of his workbooks while I checked email. From his room he calls, "Mom, I find my belt!" Sure enough, there it is. In his desk with all his crayons and markers. See?

I mean, where else would you keep your belt? Strange thing is, he is in his desk all the time. He colors and draws often and yet never noticed the belt until today. Go figure.

I Am Not A Cake Decorator . . .

2008-06-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

or maybe better titled: Things We Do For Our Children

I am not a cake decorator, nor do I play one on TV. However, I am madly in love with my child. That is the reason I stayed up past midnight and literally destroyed my kitchen to create my beautiful boy a birthday cake. Picture it, my kitchen covered with smears of red, black and white icing. It's in my hair, on my clothes, everywhere. But I am finished and hopefully it will be recognizable to the rest of the world. More importantly, recognizable to the only person that matters, my kid. Do you know who it is?

Yep, my lousy version of Lightening McQueen. Not too bad, you say? Well, you should see it in person. That big black blob right in the center, well that's supposed to be his front tire. And yes, I know that the REAL Lightening McQueen is number 95, but my boy is turning 4. This should have been a practice cake but I don't think I have the energy to go through that again. At least, not until next year. :)
Tomorrow is the big birthday. I'll try to post about his party. I *think* we are going to visit a place "where a kid can be a kid".

Alabama Soapers . . . UNITE!

2008-06-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Alabama Soap Meeting Group Picture 2007

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Alabama Soap Meeting! I know most of you are shocked. Yes, there are other soapers in the world. And yes, we get together, have demonstrations, door prizes, speakers, food, presentations, vendors, and talk about soap! lol It's tons of fun and educational. This year our special guest speaker was Anne-Marie of Bramble Berry. This cute little blonde has accomplished so much in such little time, she can't help but be an inspiration. And she's nice!

She was also presented with an Honorary ASM Membership, Tiara, Big Ass Pearls and Diva Gloves. They don't call her the Soap Queen for nothin'!

At the meeting, I purchased an 8 lb block of Shea Butter. Ever wonder what an 8 lb chunk of ultra refined shea butter looks like? Well, like this . . . isn't it pretty?

My hubby printed some bags for me to take to the meeting. (Ain't he sweet?) I was a Swap Mom and I used the bags for my participants. I donated one as a door prize and also gave one to Anne-Marie. I hope she, and everyone who got one, enjoys using it. I'm enjoying mine!

Here are some pictures of the Favorite Holiday Soap Swap and the Scrub Swap. I love to see what other people come up with for a particular theme. I haven't dipped into any of it yet but will very soon!

I also purchased a couple new fragrances that I plan to add to my line up. Details on those will come as soon as test batches get soaped. Maybe as soon as next week. (I have a very important birthday party tomorrow and a craft show this weekend.)

Aidan Simpson

2008-06-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I found this super cool website from one of the blogs I try to keep up with. At simpsonizeme.com you can upload your picture to see what you would look like as a Simpson.
Here is Aidan Simpson:

Too cute and lots of fun. I highly recommend it.

Alternative Use for . . . a Happy Meal Box

2008-06-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

For all those parents out there who have wondered what to do with those useless Happy Meal Boxes, we have a solution.

Fantastic little hat, I say. Ain't he cute? Instantly, he becomes a race car driver or maybe a gladiator. What ever you can dream, you can be. lol
Now, for those of you that get constantly stuck with the crappy bags instead of boxes, we currently don't have any suggestions. The hats work much better with the boxes. But, give us time to do a little research and we'll keep you posted. If anyone has a suggestion, feel free to let me know. We will read them all. lol

The End

2008-05-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. Today is 'The End', of school that is. My sweet boy has completed his first year of preschool.

It is a little bittersweet. I have become accustom to taking him to school, catching an hour of Matlock while checking my email and soaping the morning away! Now, I'll go back to soaping in the afternoons while Aidan is (hopefully) napping. It will be nice to sleep a little later in the mornings. I know Aidan will appreciate that the most!

First day of school, August 2007

Last day of school, May 15, 2008

The change is there. I know it isn't obvious to the unobserving eye, but a momma can see it. His teacher makes a scrapbook for every child in class. The beginning of his book, Aidan will barely look at the camera. By the end, he has the biggest, cheesy grin! I love it!

Today was the Preschool Graduation program. Aidan did not graduate (he has another year of preschool and will graduate next year) but his class participated in the program. He and another boy lead the class in stating their colors and shapes. I can safely say Aidan blew them all away! :) He's so dang smart!

Aidan also received an award for the "Best Worksheets". He always had the best (and correct!) worksheets. He's a quick learner and always completes his work. Did I mention how dang smart he is??!!! His teacher also stated that his favorite color Black, his favorite sport is Softball, and when he grows up he want to be A Softball Team. I could tell those were his words, not hers. Who else would want to be a softball 'team'? (NOTE: His daddy plays softball twice a week. Durrrr!)

Well, next week we will officially start our summer! It will be an adjustment and we will manage. We might: Take in a Braves game or 5. Join the summer reading program at our local library. Go swimming and play on the waterslide. Take our stinky mutts for a walk.

Then, as soon as the summer has started, it will be over and school days will return. Thus, beginning our cycle for the next 15 years. *shiver* For now, I think I'll just enjoy my little boy while he's still little, and love each day with him. We have lots of fun together! I'm so blessed to have such a fantastic kid!

. . . this is a test . . .

2008-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've never done this before.
This is a test to see how much I know. Hmmm, so far, so good.