It Started with a Journal

First batch of soap: made. We'll see how it turns out. I don't really have a good place for a soap lab, where I would feel safe knowing that the pets can't get to any of it. :/ I think, once K. and D. move all their stuff out of my garage, I can use that area for a small workshop. In fact, I know I can, because the former owner of this house was a very handy sort of guy, and he had a whole tool setup in there, put up extra lights, etc.

I didn't make a totally basic soap -- if you know me, you're probably not surprised. >.> I took the opportunity to try out some coloring (rose clay; it did NOT work) and fragrancing (orange essential oil; it may or may not have worked. Apparently citrus scents evaporate quickly in cold process soap).

( Other details from the experience. )

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Does anyone know anything about caring for orchids after their blossoms have fallen? I've been meaning to look it up but I feel like that will just bring me down another research hole. :)) Basically a couple months ago I got three gorgeous orchids from work that I took home. One of them got infested with some sort of bug, which didn't look like a bug, only bumps on the stem/flowers, but after looking it up, confirmed it was a bug. :/ It seemed to stunt the growth of that particular plant. And then all its flowers fell off, but it was sort of about time, because the second orchid's flowers also all fell off, even though it had been perfectly healthy otherwise (that I know of). I'm not sure if that first flower is a lost cause, and the bugs will always be there, or if now that the flowers have fallen and we can cut the stem off, we can be rid of the bugs that way?

Anyway, despite the fact that these two orchids both lost their blossoms around the same time, the third one that I kept in my bathroom was hale and hearty for weeks longer! I don't know why it kept its blossoms for so much longer, but I kept it on the windowsill above the tub with the window open (maybe it was the fresh air?), and it looked so nice. I wanted to get a picture of it before its blossoms inevitably fell, too, and I literally took this picture two days before they started wilting! Sheesh! (And then Jaime knocked the whole thing down and two of its leaves broke. :/ I hope that won't hurt it for next year. That would make me so sad.)



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Speaking of Jaime, I took this shot back in April and meant to share then, but today it is! We were looking all over for him, and he wasn't responding, and finally I saw where he was hiding, lol.



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My three mystery paintings from Afremov have arrived! I was actually kind of dreading them, because after the experience with Misty Mood 2, I was unconvinced that these would be ones I'd like, even though they're originals. But I love them! I do think it makes a huge difference when he does originals rather than replicas. I haven't decided where I'll put them yet

( Check them out! )

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In a final bit of yayness, at work we just moved into temporary digs where we have to all share this giant room (think YMCA gym) with like 75 other people. All our desks are crammed in there. I'm finally used to working in an open space instead of having my own office like I did for the first 10 years there, but this is so insane. It's supposed to be for only seven weeks, though I would be shocked if they actually finished remodeling our other space in time. To make things a little more tolerable for us while we're there, my GM is giving his team Bose QuietComfort 35 Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones, which is nice. I'm getting mine in silver.

I'm in the middle of my second fantasy football draft, and I'm feeling OK about it. Last night, T. and I went to BJ's to do the draft for the league we're both in, which was fun, except also not because I hate hogging a table at a restaurant for hours, and BJ's was way busier than I thought it would be on a Tuesday night. >< I did/do not feel so good about that draft. I dunno, it's not like I actually have a great sense for these things, but mentally I don't feel all that great about the players I got, maybe because there isn't a standout superstar that I feel excited to have gotten. Not that superstars never disappoint, but they sure make you feel good about having them! It was nice to have had you last year, Odell Beckham Jr. *sob*

Anyhow, I'm feeling okay about tonight's draft. The guys in this league seem really fun, so I like the league more, which is weird because I don't know them, and I only got into the league because T.'s friend, who runs the other league, knows this guy, who is also in the other league, and last year he needed more players. T. doesn't even know him! LOL. Also, I like the Yahoo interface/FF experience much more than the ESPN one, especially their summaries of the matches. Last year, Yahoo predicted that I would finish first in the league; I ended up finishing third. We'll see what it says about my draft this year!

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I've now used all the items in my first Birchbox and I remain a fan. Although, I'm a little confused about whether that was just my first box separate from the monthly box (I ended up subscribing for a year), because I got a notice today that my box had shipped, but I was like... I already got my box though. So...? Very odd. Anyway, ( my verdict on the products! )

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My Gravity Falls Journal 3 has arrived! I wish it were shorter and fatter, like the one Dipper uses on the show, and I wish it didn't say "Gravity Falls" on the front (does DIPPER'S say that? THEN OURS SHOULDN'T EITHER), but otherwise it seems pretty awesome and true to the real thing. :D

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I'm really anxious to make my first batch of soap, but I still haven't gotten the lye, so can't do anything until it arrives (ETA: Monday). :/ Meanwhile I'm poring over books and watching YouTube vids. I haven't made a single batch of soap yet, but I've done so much research that I feel like I already know more than some of the amateurs who have posted soap-making vids on YT. :)) This one woman bemoaned how soap ash had ruined her colors, and I'm like, "Duh, you could have easily prevented that by spritzing on a 91% rubbing alcohol solution after molding the soap." Also, given how much the colors faded, she probably used some coloring mediums that were light sensitive.

( Meanwhile, I bought this mold to make little specialty soaps with. Isn't it cute?! )

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My nail art templates arrived! They came all the way from Singapore, which is why they took so long. But there was a problem: I ordered 13 plates and they only sent 12. I either wanted a refund for the missing plate or for it to be sent out; to my surprise they chose to ship it to me. I can't see how they could possibly make any money doing that, but I think that about a lot of eBay businesses.

Anyway, the templates are really cute and I'm glad I got them. I even got a Halloween-specific one that I can't wait to use once we get into October!

I am not, however, thrilled with my first attempt. :( Has nothing to do with the templates, or the stamper, both of which seem great. I chose the wrong color to stamp with, unfortunately. Or rather, it was the wrong texture. I thought it was going to be a thick nail polish, but it wasn't... It looks more like I drew with marker on my nails than looking like a really nice paint job. ><

I love watching nail stamping ideas on YouTube... people are so creative! That reminds me, I need to get a really opaque black polish.