Fun Cloth Flip Flops
Posted by scentsthatmatter in August 9, 2010
I finally did some fun cloth flip flops for my granddaughter today. I did it while waiting between loads of laundry. I found the instructions on another website over a month ago. http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2010/05/altered-flip-flops-tutorial.html I didn’t look it up before I did these because I thought I remembered. Why I thought that I’ll never know. I can’t remember what I had for lunch. Needless to say, I didn’t remember exactly and I believe her’s will hold up long term better then the ones I have here. But I have another pair that I am going to do following directions as I should. When I took Kenzie (granddaughter) to Old Navy to pick out a pair of flip flops she wanted two pair and it was $5.00 for two. I did the first step of sewing the fabrics together 
but then I went straight to making cross strips and sewing with embroidery thread onto the flip flops.
I’ll update when I get around to doing it right. If someone else does it right and has any novices mistakes to look out for please share.
UPDATE: There is a reason that following directions is sometimes a good idea. These are the ones I did according to the tutorial and I like them better. They were easier to sew because the extra stitching added stability.
1st Lesson Learned: The first shoe I was concerned abot having too much material. I cut it a little close but it worked fine. The second shoe sewed up really fast because I was more generous with the fabric.
2nd Lesson Learned: Don’t start what you want to do before what you need to do. The need never gets touched. Tomorrow is another day and I will think about cleaning out my closet.
Another Update: I made my DIL some shoes today. I am getting faster and more efficient at this.
What to do with scrap soaps?
Posted by scentsthatmatter in August 8, 2010
I have a solution for the question “What to do with soap scraps?” Make laundry soap. If you don’t have scraps because you don’t make soap, get some Ivory Soap to use. It’s inexpensive and mild. I did it tonight with my scraps so it hasn’t been tested yet. But it will be and an update will be forth coming. I really resent buying laundry detergent. It’s expensive and I would prefer to spend my money elsewhere. Plus I have the ends of my cold processing soaps. The soap scraps that are perfectly good soaps, but not as appealing to the eye. I have been saving them but I can’t use them as fast as I make them.
My first use for them was making laundry soap tonight. If people realized how easy it is they would do it themselves. Here’s how easy it is using a heavy duty 5 gallon plastic container.
- Finely grade enough mild soap to make two (2) cups (less than a full bar).
- Heat 4 cups of water and melt your graded soap in it.
- As the soap is melting heat 2 gallons of water. I used my tea kettle and measured the hot water using my 2 quart glass measuring cup. 4 quarts equal a gallon and we need two (2) gallons. So that was 4 full measuring cups (2 Quarts each). I had about 2 cups additional hot water so I poured it in too.
- As the water heated I slowly poured it into the 5 gallon heavy duty plastic container.
- Next I slowly poured the completely melted soap water mix into the 5 gallon plastic container. Mixing well with a large stainless steel spoon.
- I measured ¾ cup of Borax and 1 ¼ cup of washing soap into a measuring cup.
- Then I slowly poured the powdered ingredients into the hot wet ingredients. I mixed and mixed until I felt sure it was thoroughly mixed.
- I then added two large droppers of “Fruit of the Loom” fragrance oil. Stirring that in completely for a good mix. This is not necessary but I had it and I wanted too.
- Last but not least I sealed it with the lid and I am letting it set overnight.
The hardest part is boiling water or measuring whichever is hardest for you! It’s a must try for anyone wanting to save money.
Update: I’ve been using my new laundry detergent all day. It works great. I have this shirt that has been my go to shirt all summer but with the summer heat it was starting to smell less clean even after washing it. But today, it smells as clean as when I first got it. It did not get old stains out of old clothes. So I guess it’s not a magic wand but I’ll take it. Now, all this laundry has caused a new issue. I don’t have enough hangers or closet space for all my clothes. So, tomorrow’s project is to go through the closet and get a bag ready for a donation. That’s a good idea anyway I have soap that needs to be delivered to the local shelter.
Today was run the errands day.
Posted by scentsthatmatter in August 7, 2010
Today was run the errands day. I went to the tax office to get my permanent disability card. Then I went to my apartment’s office to ask for a reserved parking space near my apartment. Both experiences were a pleasure. The tax office line moved fast as you could ask it too. The employee made me feel like she was glad I had come in. Then the assistant manager of the apartment let me pick my spot and promised it would be done by Monday. It wasn’t 30 minutes later when the head maintenance man knocked on my door to tell me I could move my car into its new home because it was done.
The heat is brutal as it is across the country right now. The heat drains me terribly so I took a nap. I didn’t do much today that I can check off a “to do” list. Have you had very many days like that? I have great plans for tomorrow. None of which include going outside other than to walk the dog. I want to make my own laundry detergent. I will look up recipes tonight and try to find the best one.
I want to work on my granddaughter’s flip flops. I’ll post a picture when I am through with them. I want to make some solid perfume. I should do a little laundry. I realize that if I can find the slightest excuse not to do that I will use it. I don’t have a crisis of laundry happening. Oh I found one; my new laundry detergent has to sit for 24 hours before it can be used. YES!!! I can ignore laundry for one more day.
Having A Great Multiple Sclerosis Neurologist IS Priceless
Posted by scentsthatmatter in August 5, 2010
Having a great Multiple Sclerosis Neurologist is priceless. I have always been blessed to have great ones. They have cared and listened. They act like I’m all they have to do that day.
I always go prepared. I have a notebook and I write things down that happen or I wonder about and things I think the neurologist should know. He can’t stop everything from going wrong but he can advise because he has dedicated his life to MS. I go every six months. So, I really focus on the issues that have occurred in the last three, unless it’s an issue that started in the first three months and is still an issue. That way he knows when it started. I tell family and friends what’s on my list and ask if they can think of something I forgot. They usually can.
At the visit the Doctor starts with his questions which usually give me a chance to address many of the items on my list. This time either through his questions or my list I told him about thinking I had a splinter in my toe and a sharp pain in my big toe on my left foot a couple of times in June. The days it happened I had been on my feet a little more than normal but not enough to justify the problem. I took Ibuprofen, got off my feet and it helped. I told him about several problems including forgetting how to turn on the shower and having to go back to the tub several times before I remembered. He asked if that was in June, it was. He said that would have been because of the heat. My MS was expressing it’s displeasure about the heat. In July and August I’ve had spasms that are new. They aren’t all the time and I can usually gently stretch and they will improve. With all the issues we discussed he said that it sounded like I as having some misfiring of nerves in my lower spine.
I can’t feel the ground when I have on shoes which cause me to trip so I don’t wear shoes at home. He said that was an excellent idea. I can’t feel vibrations from the thigh down which doesn’t help me stay upright. On one test, I shut my eyes and he bent my big to down or up and I had to tell him which way my toe was going. I did well with my right toe but not so well with my left one. I told him about my Rock N Go exercise machine and how it was helping me build my core strength. He loved it. He found it on the internet and is going to show it to other neurologist and patients. Like me many people can’t take the heat so horseback riding (which helps MS patients with balance) is out of the question. My machine simulates horseback riding and I am in the air condition watching TV! Good stuff.
I am blessed in so many ways. I have a great doctor who cares and the support of loved ones. I can do all sorts of crafts and live independently. He did give me a prescription for a Disability Plate Card. It’s time. I know me, there is limited disability parking and I think I am having a good day I won’t want to use it because what if someone who is having a bad day needs it and I was selfish? I’d feel so bad. But more often than not I agree with the doctor, I need it.
He has always told me I was an interesting woman or an unusual woman partly because I have a positive attitude and I’m always looking for solutions to the challenges and rarely complain about them. The most encouraging part of the visit was as I was leaving. He called my name as I opened the door of the exam room. I looked back at him and he said “I like you.” It’s great to know that your doctor likes you. I know he is on my team and not just doing a job he was trained to do.
Candy Gift Baskets
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 30, 2010
Well, I was thinking and thinking about what type of gift baskets I would make for a real estate agent and a theater manager. I decided candy gift baskets were my best bet. I needed to select something that I could use the same type products to reduce costs. It’s the end of the month and the funds as stretched. I know the same is true for my customers so I am looking for ways to help them save money but still present an eye pleasing “Thank You Gift”. As usual I did not use a basket. Here is what I came up with:
The first picture shows the basket without the wrapper and bow. But you can see in the second picture once the bow and wrapping is done. There is a reason you should keep scraps and pieces from your craft adventures. I was able to pull this together with a few items from the dollar store and scraps from old projects that I kept because I felt sure one day I would find a use for them. But remember if you save it you have to go back before you start a new project and see if there is anything you can use and build on it.
The Candy Gift Baskets have plenty of candy in the arrangement:
- 4 Tootsie Pops
- 4 Blow Pops
- 4 Mini Hersey Bars
- 8 Jolly Ranchers
- 4 Starburst
I spent $10.00 at the dollar store and came up with two $20.00 gift baskets. Honestly, I had about $5.00 worth of scrap items too. So, $I have $7.50 invested in each planter and will receive $20.00 for each. I’ll take a $25.00 profit for these two simple planters.
It’s time to look at my lip balm recipes. Happy crafting to you all.
Finished The Journal Cover Today!
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 29, 2010
I started a Journal Cover yesterday. I had to finish it today because the evening got away from me. I am using that hidden fabric I talked about in a previous post. Yesterday, I was finishing a chair cover so I started out behind which is why I didn’t get yesterday’s project finished until today. The chair cover is not what we normally think of as a char cover. Pictures of the finished projects are attached. The chair cover is designed to hold a folder or a book. I am forever putting down my book and having to go a hurt to find it. Now, I have to train myself to put the book in the pocket. I think there are others who could do a more professional job but I am happy with the results. Call me crazy but it doesn’t have to be prefect for me to enjoy it. I can look at it and know that I did the best job I knew how to do at that time and be happy. With experience I am sure I will continue to improve at my sewing efforts. But I will look at these efforts and smile because these items are the road that took me there.
Gift Baskets Don’t Have To Be Baskets
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 25, 2010
Hello everyone. My mom suggested that I do baskets. My boyfriend suggested I do baskets. But being the independent sort that I am I didn’t do baskets. But I began looking for “The Niche” that needed to be filled that I can fill for others. Guess what I discovered? Baskets!
I remembered when I worked for a bank that often when someone needed a basket or fun gift they would bring me the money and I would make a basket. I didn’t do it for profit I just did it because it was fun and helped out co-workers. They were often given to other co-workers which was nice because I could deliver them easily.
So now my brain is filled with basket ideas! I went to Harry Hines which is in Dallas TX that is known for it’s wholesale items. What I realized is it’s not really wholesale! It’s more like “On Sale” items. You can’t even avoid state sales tax with a State Sales Tax Certificate. It’s crazy to drive across town when you can get the same price at Sam’s right down the road from here. I will save the gas, the time and stress of driving across town. I’m sure they meet the needs of many people or there would not be a street full of venders. But, they don’t meet my needs.
I moved my search to the internet and found several websites that met my needs better. OF course, you have to buy in volume to avoid shipping cost. The other option is to manage your volume cost by buying the most products within the postage cost tier. For example, if the range for postage cost of 7.99 is between $25.00 and $45.00 I found $41.00 in product that I believe is well worth the shipping cost. Even if they charge me tax, I expect to stay under $45.00.
I found a wonderful book storage box today on sale for $4.00. I can lift the cover and have a wonderful stage for the gifts and a useful storage box for the lucky person who gets it. The dollar store has great planters for a buck! Some lotion, soap, gardener gloves, a nail brush and seeds, we have the start of a great basket. A cute box or storage bin filled with a coloring book, colors, a stuffed bear and a little candy we are heading toward a child’s “get well basket”. A wall organizer stuffed with trial sized toiletries and snacks what do we have? We have a gift for someone who is in the process of moving! Gift baskets are so much better if they aren’t baskets, unless it’s a Longaberger Basket.
Caution Lye In The Eye
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 20, 2010
I found an article from Deborah at Antiquity Oaks (a homestead) I feel is important for us all to read and learn from. In the past I would realize I wasn’t wearing my safety goggles while making my soap and because I wear glasses I have thought, it’s okay my glasses will protect me. She tells about an accident and what she went through that day. She wrote:
“If you’re a soaper or if you ever want to make soap in the future, PLEASE wear eye protection! I feel unbelievably stupid. As the ER doctor said, no one expects to get in a car accident, but we wear our seat belt just in case. Like I tell my children, they’re called “accidents” because we don’t do them on purpose!”
After reading her scary tale I wouldn’t think my glasses are enough again! The link to this article is:
http://antiquityoaks.blogspot.com/2009/10/soapmaking-accident.html
I hope you read the article and come back and tell me if it had the same impact on you that it did me! I’m going now to make candles. I hope everyone has a blessed day.
I Made Round Bath Fizzies
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 18, 2010
Now I realize many people will say what’s the big deal. But for me it was. I couldn’t get them to come out of the cheap plastic molds right. But I quit using other peoples recipes and made up my own. Most people had a similar recipe, after all, they are the same thing so that is logical. But for some reason it just never worked for me. No doubt there are better molds then mine but I didn’t want to spend the money until I found a recipe I really liked. The Cupcake Bath Bombs were the kick I needed to try again. So here’s what I came up with:
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ Cups Baking soda
½ Cup Corn Starch
¼ Cup Epson Salt (it was a little over ¼)
½ Cup Citric Acid **
WET INGREDIENTS:
3 TBLS Vegetable Oil
¼ tsp IPM (Isopropyl Myristate) an emollient liquid
½ tsp Cyclomethicone
1 tsp Distilled Water
¼ tsp Borax
3 TBLS Fragrance Oil
Witch Hazel as needed.
I mixed the first three ingredients together with a stainless Steel whisk. Then I mixed the first five wet ingredients together with a stainless steel spoon. I stirred and stirred to get the Borax to dissolve. Brorax is optional but it’s a good cleaner some people use it in soaps, laundry detergent and for their bath tubs. If it helps clean the tub I’m for it. I seriously doubt such a small amount is going to do much cleaning but I didn’t want more because I want the fizzies to be moisturizing. Then I added the Fragrance oil to the wet mix.
I went back to the dry ingredients and added the Citric Acid slowly as I mixed in with my whisk. After I felt good that I had thoroughly mixed the dry ingredients, I slowly began to add the wet ingredients. I started with my whisk but quickly moved to my hands to ensure an even disbursement of wet and dry ingredients. (Next time I will skip the whisk at this stage.) It was still a bit dry so I began to add 3 or 4 spray mists of witch hazel to a section moving my fingers through it to mix it well. When it felt like wet clay and stayed together, I packed my mold. Then I moved to the next one and repeated the witch hazel process to pack the mold. This recipe made four balms. One fell apart because it didn’t have quite enough in it. I can use a little less (1/4 tsp) in the first three next time and it will be prefect. At the moment the three that are good weight just over 5 oz. I believe next time I will weigh the mixture, divide four and use that much for each one. Sounds like a lot of trouble. My thinking is that the learning curve is a lot of trouble but it’s well worth it in the end.
**Citric Acid will draw moisture from the air and can create hard clumps if left alone to long. That makes it really hard to have good bath fizzies. So I’ve read some where.
Update: DIL came by last night with son. I told her about the bath fizzies and she got real excited which in turn excited the kids. They left with several bath fizzies. I did a test on a cupcake fizzy. It fizzed for over three minutes. Granted at three minutes it was a slow fizzy. I’m happy with three minutes.
Lemon Scented Bath Balms
Posted by scentsthatmatter in July 15, 2010
I created these cute bath balms and now I am waiting for them to fully dry. The recipe was:
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Citric Acid
½ cup Corn Starch
9 oz sweet almond oil
1 vitamin E capsule
5 or 6 drops of lemon essential oil
3 or 4 drops of liquid yellow dye (should be water solvable dye made for soap making)
Witch Hazel from a fine mist sprayer
Stainless steel wire whisk.
If in doubt don’t use the dye because you don’t want if to dye you for the bath tub. I choose Lemon because it’s summer and that means HOT in Texas. Citrus is refreshing and uplifting after coming in from a heat index of 105 degrees or more.
I put the banking soda and the corn starch together first. I gave it a good gentle mix with the whisk, making sure no clumps were left. Be gently or you will have baking soda/corn starch dust filling the air and landing on any and everything. Next I added citrus acid and mixed well again.
Many people will use a mix of water and light colored oil in their balms and there is nothing wrong with that. A matter of fact water is cheaper than oil so that’s a plus. For me I prefer to have more of the moisturizing properties of Sweet Almond Oil and none of the fizzy reaction caused by water. I mix the oils, the Vitamin E, the fragrance and the liquid dye together. You need to slowly, slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix constantly or you will still get that fizzy reaction we want to keep at a minimum during the creation phase. But don’t worry if you start having a big fizzy reaction, stop adding your wet ingredients and stir vigorously. That will usually take care of the problem. We want to avoid as much fizzy reaction as possible at this point. Once you have things back under control begin adding oil again only slower. Usually about half way through the mixing phase I put down the whisk and yuse my hands. We want a consistency of wet sand.
Now it’s time to put your balms into the molds. Many people make round balms using Christmas ornaments or molds designed for bath balms. Other’s use a cupcake pan as their mold to make balms. I like the cc pan. Be sure to use liners if you have a metal cc pan or you’re going to have a hard time (near impossible) getting it out of the pan looking nice. I recently made cupcake bath balms. I used the following recipe for a topping.
4 egg whites
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Citric Acid
1 tsp cream of tarter
Mix as you would a frosting. It will be lumpy. Then top the hardened cc bath balms with the topping. Some people will use powdered sugar to really make a frosting appearance. I don’t recommend that. The reason I feel this way is if anyone is prone to yeast infections all that sugar in a bath might put them at risk. Here is a picture on my finished balm.
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