First, to all of the Moms out there…I hope you have/are having/had a wonderful day. That’s the thing with time zones…never know where someone really ‘;s’!

Right now, in North Texas, it is just a bit after 4:40 in the afternoon. I’ve had a rather unusual day, to be quite honest. I did sleep until my normal 5am (that dang cat, Ziggy, simply will not let me sleep longer). I got up, made coffee (an utter necessity) and sat in stillness for a time. In meditation. Okay, I think I also fell asleep. And the dream was also a bit unusual…having me skating down a series of very steep grades in a race.

Considering I don’t roller skate any longer, or race, it was rather unusual. And when I won, I beat a man with bright hot pink gauges in his ears. Since I know no one with such ear ornamentation, well, unusual again.

But that’s just the thing of dreams…unusual.

Since I’ve done some housework (since I was lazy yesterday) and shredded some documents. I made breakfast. I’m contemplating dinner with the daughter.

Who surprised me this morning with a large bouquet of pink coral roses. Absolutely stunning. I love roses (her middle name is Rose) but I’m not fond of the red ones. Yes, I’m very aware that they’re supposed to represent ‘passion’ but seriously…I think they’re a tad cliched. I like hot pink, bright yellow, flame colored, coral, salmon, etc.

I do have a few red roses growing outside the house. But for cut flowers? Not red, please.

I’ve attempted, twice, to call my mom, but keep missing her. I’ll call again later. And now, I’m writing this to you. It has been an unusual day but that’s okay, really. I like not following the herd. Doing my own thing. Marching to the beat of my own drummer. A day should be spent exactly as you wish.

And I did. Okay, I did want a coat of paint on the kitchen walls but that will happen. Right now, I’m just relaxing and feeling pretty good. Hope your day was equally momentous. Or not.

Just as you prefer.

Life. You know, sometimes it just isn’t all that cooperative. I have the best intentions (yep I surely do) of posting every few days, but while I’m usually full of words, there are times that I just don’t think to share.

Bad me. Seriously bad. I will work on that.
Brief rundown of the past whirlwind since we last visited: Son home from school for end of first trimester and back again. Roof needed patching due to some fairly brisk winds (son did that, getting a major sunburn at the same time….I love multitasking, don’t you?) still painting the great room (putting pale turquoise color over moss green does require a few coats when  you’re upfront cheap and buy the cheap paint…sigh). I’ve done some shopping, am still walking at lunch daily, etc. Daughter is fine. And we’ve adopted a new cat, Chloe, to keep Ziggy company. Etta has found a new family. I do miss that sweet corgi face, but let’s be honest…I”m not much of a dog person. Since daughter is busy with work, boyfriend and upcoming first college semester, she also didn’t have time.

So we found Etta lovely home with dog brothers and sisters. I hope she’s happy. She’ll always be missed.

And, I’ve jumped a bit more into techno world by getting a Roku and Netflix. If you don’t ‘know’ of Roku, well you should. It is a streaming device for TV. So your wireless internet signal allows you to watch Netflix. Amazing. Wonderful. Lovely. I hate commercials so now I don’t have to watch them. I like watching shows when I have time (not just when they’re on the air). Etc.

I’ve finally seen the entire Tudors Showtime series. I’m at about 2008 in old Top Gear episodes. I’m about to begin Glee and Scrubs. I didn’t see the first year and a half of Glee and nothing this year (dunno why…but there it is). I adore smart assed comedy so Scrubs is always a hoot. Just wish that Big Bang Theory was there. But it isn’t. So I may have to get HuluPlus, too.

Did I mention no commercials? I hate them. Really. Now, I have a degree in business and I’m quite aware that they have a purpose. In fact, all of broadcasting and media are entirely designed to get people to sit down long enough to watch the damn things. Because without the advertising revenue there would be no entertainment media. I know that. I understand.

I still hate them. ‘Nuff said.

I haven’t written much on my novels in some months. I have been toying with the idea of publishing them for Kindle. More on that later. I guess I need to actually GET one first and see how it all works. A neighbor has the Fire and adores it.

But I’m just not that technologically advanced. I didn’t buy a CD for years. I still have LP’s and do not own a turntable. I have a stack of cassettes around here, too. Oh well…I’ll just keep up as well as possible. I will say, though, that I do love my MP3 player!

Finally, and this is a big one, I got carded recently. More than once. Now, as mentioned before, I’m 52. No kid, at all. So when I go into a liquor store intent on buying a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of nice beer (Shiner Blonde or Fat Tire…which has to be the MOST apt name for a beer EVER! It’s good, too), and the lady starts to ring me up and then (goes something like this…)

Clerk: “I’m sorry, ma’am, can I see your ID?”

Me (surprised): “ID?”

Clerk: “Yes, ma’am.”

Me (still mystified)”: “Uh, okay, here it is.” (takes driver’s license from the wallet, tugging it free cause it doesn’t want to leave the plastic pocket where it usually resides).

Clerk (looks at it and then back up at me): “Oh dear!”

Me: “Something wrong?”

Clerk: “Nothing wrong. I’m surprised.”

Me: “Oh, why?”

Clerk: “Didn’t think you were older than my mom.” (wow, if that doesn’t make you quiver a little inside, nothing will.”

Me: “I’m 52.”

Clerk: “Yeah, you don’t look it.”

Me: (feeling a little smug at the moment cause this is the second time since turning 52 that someone has carded me.) “Really? Huh. Well, I think I look 52.”

Clerk: “You don’t.”

Me: “Well this is my version of 52.” (gives her money as she has been ringing me up and bagging my bottles, a bit aware of the guy standing behind me staring oddly. I take my change and leave.”

So that was both cool and not. And before anyone asks….the dude behind me in the store? Yeah, totally not my type. Yes, it would be nice to date again (been rather busy with kids, so now it is becoming ‘my’ time) but….any dude whose belly is large enough so that he could be mistaken for a late term pregnancy…

Yeah. Not my type, either.

So on this rambling note. Bye. I promise to write more often.

Life is moving onward, as usual. Son is back at his dorm (just drove down and back). Daughter is readying for a day out shopping. Seems we have to find a long black dress to go under her graduation gown. I do not think that is going to be an easy thing.

Might have to trot out the sewing machine.

It has been unseasonably warm, but today is about right for this time of year. On the drive down to Waco, I saw the bluebonnets in full bloom. If you’ve ever drive about Texas on a Spring time drive, you’ll know that the sides of our highways are awash in vivid blue. They don’t smell too good (more about that later) but they sure look pretty!

Beautiful to look at, but not, in my humble opinion, much in the smell capacity. Which is why when I poured this scent into wax, I did make it vivid bluebonnet blue, but the scent is a mingle of a variety of floral scents. You won’t be able to *really* pick one over the other, but to me, this is what bluebonnets SHOULD smell like.

Vivid blue color, amazing floral scent, here's my take on Bluebonnet!

Jar candles aren’t the top sellers this time of year. I can understand why. But really, you should consider them. Just a few hours burn will freshen stale air and bring the outside ‘in’ without pollen! I burn jar candles probably more in spring and summer, than in fall/winter. I just adore that springtime freshness.

Well spring is definitely coming, wishing you a wonderful season!

52 years ago, I was born. Yep, that’s a long time. And part of the growing older is the realization that life, no matter how many years, is a journey. I mean, inside, I feel like ‘me’. And yet I know that the me of 2012 bears little relation (in many ways) to the me of 1982 when I graduated from college.

It surely does not seem as though 30 years could have passed since college graduation. And yet, it surely has. I’ve covered a lot of ground. I moved to Texas after graduation (with a small time in Arkansas working as a field rep for the Hoover Company–yep the vacuum cleaner folks). I started a MBA (didn’t finish due to some issues with my manager at Philip Morris USA–yep the cigarette giant). That’s a story that won’t be posted here, but let’s just say that not everyone is happy when a subordinate tries to get more edumacated (LOL).

I got married, had 2 kids, one horrific car crash and a divorce. I’ve had a business. And I have a ‘day job’ and a growing soap business. Truthfully, my dream is to just ‘do this’ (make soap and sundries) but all in time.

I had thought this year to take a trip to the UK. I was born in London and have not returned since I left as a toddler. But this year, with the Diamond Jubliee and the Olympics, London is the last place on earth I want to be. Too expensive. But someday…maybe next summer…I’m going to see where my first days happened.

Birthdays are transitions, of course. When I was in my 40′s, I could amuse myself with the idea that I wasn’t–not really–OLD. Forty is the new 30 and all of that. But 50, and the years past, really do set you down and give you a talking too. I mean, it is one thing to feel lively and young, but a single glance in the mirror shows you that you ain’t as young a chicken as you wish you were.

And that’s okay, too.

Today may be your birthday, or not. I presume you’ll have many more (and I hope you do)…but whatever transpires on your special day…it is okay. Be well. Be happy. And be blessed. I surely am.

Well, a few minutes ago, the winter sky was bright blue with just a few wisps of grayish white clouds outside my office window. It is still quite early, using weekend time, which means anything before 9am is just too early to do much at all. I’m already sitting at the desk, drinking my second cup of java. I’ve scanned my site for orders, checked on my Etsy shop and thought I’d mumble a bit, here, about life and such.

If you read my blog, you already know that while I do like to talk about my products (soap, lotions and such), I also do spend time giving sales advice (especially on setting up craft shows) and about the weather. No matter where you live, the weather is important to your life. Nowhere I’ve ever been, though, takes the prize from North Texas. You never know what a day will bring. Bright skies one hour can turn into a deep gray drizzly funk. Windless can transform into a brisk breeze that makes your jeep skitter in the lanes while you drive.

Yesterday, I drove my son to college. He’s nearly 21. And he stayed around here, living at home, for a few years going to the local community college…trying to figure himself out. A lot of kids do that. Finally, he determined that what he wanted to do….was to do something. He wasn’t interested in a ‘sitting behind the desk’ type of job. So, he’s at trade school, learning electronics.

He’s really very smart. But like a lot of teens (okay I know he’s nearly 21, but he’s still a ‘kid’ to his momma), he was probably more afraid of making the wrong decision than of making a decision at all. So he didn’t. Until he did.

Not me. When I was 18, I was all fired up and ready to move to school. I went to Purdue, nearly a 14 hour drive from the home that my parents lived in. I adored being there. Always at the top of my class, I smugly assumed that I’d be running the school in a few months. Reality was a horrifying thing. I was at a school where everyone else was also at the top of their class (at least those that didn’t flunk out…) and for the first time in my life, surrounded by real peers, I had to work for what I wanted.

It was a scary time. But it was also a liberating time. And I’d trade it for nothing. Okay, I’d trade it for a few hundred million dollars…but not for much less. It made me, me. And that’s a bargain.

My son is going to have his own rough road to walk. He has a dorm setup that would have been the height of luxury for a Purdue student. His own room, with a sink. Connects to a shared bathroom (one other student). They have a largish living room with some fairly industrial furniture. A kitchen with a table and 4 chairs. Amazing.

The bedroom my son has, alone, is larger than the room I shared with another student during my freshman year. And we didn’t have that cool bathroom setup. Living room? Yeah. But no way a kitchen.

He’s not on the meal plan, so we loaded him up with groceries from Aldi. I head back there today with a bike and a few things he forgot. I was 14 hours away. He’s nearly 1.5.

He’ll be fine. He’ll soar on the freedom. And I hope he loves school as much as I did. But part of me…well, I’m a bit sad this morning. While I know he had to go. And while I was encouraging it…after all, there’s only so many times you can trip over a size 14 shoe before you begin to think that said shoes did not need to STILL be in your house…

I miss him. And while it is crisp and clean outside the house. And we’re going to tidy up the inside, too…cleaning the flotsam and jetsam of so many boy years here…and tucking them neatly into boxes until he needs them again…well, it isn’t the same.

And that’s okay. Birds have to fly. But sometimes, it is hard to see that maiden flight. Even though you know that they have to do it.

Okay, this is my first post in several months. And I really do not have an excuse.

Sure, I’ve done several shows (5 to be exact) and most of them are multiple day events. And that, combined with a real job (although my dream is to do ‘just this’ full time, as a single parent, I am compelled to work somewhere with good benefits!) makes for one TIRED woman.

It’s okay. I know (each fall) that this is coming. So I get my holiday shopping out of the way and rest as much as possible. It is true that I don’t get as much done in the way of organizing. I mean, laundry is done as well as food prep, but boxes might not get put back and the yard is neglected.

But now, it is time to take stock and relax…as much as possible.

First, let me say that this has been one amazing holiday season. My online sales are way UP and I’m still shipping out daily. I can no longer promise ‘before Christmas’ arrival with standard delivery, but if you need something, I can ask Santa United States Postal Service to get it to you on time. For an extra fee. I think it is for supercharged reindeer food…

Come 2012, there will be a few changes afoot. Nothing more now, but behind the scenes, things are changing. Some new products, of course, and some of them will make it into my Etsy shop by year’s end. But by the end of January 2012, this entire place may look different…more streamlined.

That’s all for now. I’ll write again, soon. Promise.

Technically, that’s not true….I did a spring show earlier this year (don’t like them, for some reason, and neither–it seems–do customers). But yesterday was the official kickstart to my fall show season at the Trietsch United Methodist church in Flower Mound, TX.

If I met you there, especially if you became a Coquette Bath & Home™ customer, I appreciate you! Like always, this is an amazing show. Very well run. Even though my position was right in front of the bathrooms…I did not have enough time to leave my booth!

(psst, organizers…having someone come and offer to booth sit–for a few minutes–for those who do shows alone would be a huge blessing).

They doubled the size of their show this year, opening up a new building to vendors. I’m not sure how many vendors attended, but heard that just one room in the new building housed 100…it seems like maybe 250-300 sellers were there.

This is billed as a handcrafted show, and it seems that it is, still. I did not see anything around me that appeared to be anything ‘but’ handmade. Which is very good. Looking forward to next year…but I think I’ll get a double booth. Very hard to move around today…due to standing on tile and no space to sit down. My booth yesterday was ‘in the middle’ and I had to build a large table out of 3 smaller ones pushed together and bounce from side to side (maneuvering around a brick pillar) all day.

Onward in the season. Next up? Martin High School on October 15-16. Martin High School runs a spectacular show. I’m set up (as usual) outside the cafeteria. Please stop by. Martin High School is at 4501 W Pleasant Ridge, Arlington, TX.

See you there!

I’ve begun commenting lately, in several spots, about handmade soap. Why it is good. Why it is important. And even…why.

One thing I know I’ve glossed over by mentioning my team RealSoap on Etsy is that not everyone is who they say they are. I know, you’re probably shocked, but lots of folks like to appear to be one way (marketing ya know) but are really something else, entirely.

Like the soap resellers. Those who buy logs of soap and cut them into chunks and sell them. It is not illegal to do this. Though, on Etsy, it is against the terms of use (TOU) because stuff on Etsy is supposed to fall in one of 3 categories to be sold: Vintage, Supplies or Handmade.

And Handmade means by you, not by someone else.

But some like to pretend that they aren’t doing what we (knowledgeable soapmakers) know that they are. Whatever. Hurts no one, normally.

But then we find some who are making horrific medical claims. No, I’m not going to point you to any specific website or to any specific person. But I would like to give you a few general rules.

Maybe these rules won’t lead you to someone who DEFINITELY is a reseller of soap rather than a creator of soap. But they will lead you to someone who doesn’t know the law. Or doesn’t care enough about it to follow it.

Rule #1: Medical claims. Folks, as I’ve mentioned before, if there was a soap that could make me look like Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry or (hell) anyone cuter than me, I’d have a lifetime supply in a locked cabinet. It simply doesn’t exist. Nor does soap cure cancer (yep, I’ve found someone who says just that…maybe I need to alert the American Cancer Society cause to my knowledge they are unaware of this incredible breakthrough) or anything else. You can’t even state that this ingredient or that is ‘known’ or ‘suspected’ or ‘historically has been used’ to ‘cure, fix etc’ anything like psorasis, excema, dermatitis, crowsfeet, wrinkles. saggy boobs etc,,

But folks are doing this. And if you see someone making these claims…please do not support them. If there really is a medical breakthrough like that, it will be on the evening news. Believe me.

Now, that is not to say that some ingredients HAVE been shown to do this or that…or historically have been used in this way or that way. I’m not debating that. But in this society, where everyone is looking for an angle, some folks have grabbed this health reason to shill their products.

Soap cleans. That’s all. It also should smell good (personal preference…)

Rule #2: They make soap without lye. As I’ve already mentioned in my previous post (in this here blog) that’s impossible. So avoid anyone who says that they don’t use lye. Now, truthfully, when the chemical reaction is done, there is no lye left. And the oils are transformed. But if someone is listing olive oil and shea butter etc (which are raw ingredients to make soap…among many other oils and butters) then they should also list the lye. Please note that soap does not have to be labeled with ingredients, but I think folks should…skin allergies aren’t fun.

Rule #3: not labeling products. Again, soap is legally exempt. But nothing else is. The basics of labeling are that each product must contain the list of ingredients in descending order (first ingredient is the largest percentage and so on). It must list the weight of the product minus the package (net weight), and it must offer contact information of the manufacturer.

Rule #4: well this is a personal opinion but stay away from extremes. Really cheap prices worry me. And really expensive prices make me feel like I’m being robbed. But that’s just me. Soap bars (handmade) usually run from $4-6 around where I live. So a bar that is $2 would tell me that it may be made with inferior ingredients. Bars that are $15 would tell me that someone thinks I’m silly enough to pay it.

You do what feels right to you. But remember, only buy real soap…from real soapmakers. You’ll be glad you did.

Okay, I guess I’ve been listening to a little bit too much Aerosmith (What kind of love are you on, from the Armageddon soundtrack…) but the title also seems very appropriate.

I captain a team on Etsy called ‘RealSoap’. I think I’ve mentioned this before. But while many categories on Etsy are being overtaken by mass-produced crap from all corners of the world (and are not, any more, entirely handmade…sad to say), we, who make soap, rather thought we were immune to such shennigans.

After all, we make soap! How in the world could someone be a reseller?

Yeah, well, we quickly found out that we were wrong. Seems that folks are buying logs of soap made by other companies and cutting said soap, and slapping their labels on said soap and selling it. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. Perfectly legal. But they aren’t the ones who make the actual soap and in many cases, these folks (cause I’ve checked some shops) put forth some of the most amazingly weird commentary about their ‘products’. Such as this soap removes cellulite or wrinkles or detoxes your skin, or cures psoriasis.

All of which, sorry to say, are purest balderdash. Listen I’m a ‘fluffy’ person, and I make soap. I gotta tell you that if there was a soap that would make me look like Angelina Jolie (or have a model body), I’d be all over that in a heartbeat. Alas, it isn’t true. There really is no substitute for limiting calories and exercising (as I quaff my cup of pecan flavored, cream & sugar enhanced morning java)…

So, why does this all tie into the title? Actually, okay, it doesn’t. I just wanted to give you a ‘catch-up’ if you don’t read my blog that often (and seriously, I’m kinda funny, so you should….) but I do get emails from time to time from folks who have heard the snake oil soaper claims. Or are just plain bamboozled by the various bits of hoopla.

So I’m going to set the record straight. As simply as I can.

First, soap. Soap is a byproduct of a chemical reaction between an oil and an alkali. For soap, that means lye. Yes, lye. No ‘lyeing’ about it, you cannot make soap without lye. Seriously. Please do not believe the bunk from some companies (large and small) that say they use a natural ‘salt’ to make their soap…oh no LYE in their soap. Chemically, it is impossible. But if they persist, challenge them to put their hands in their lovely ‘salt’ solution. I mean, if it is JUST salt, it would be fine, right?

Trust me, they won’t. Well, not if they care about their fingers…and keeping them. Lye is a corrosive alkali. Soapmakers have to be very careful in handling it. As even mixing the lye with liquid (water, beer, goat’s milk etc) which you have to do to completely dissolve it, produces toxic fumes. Yeah, this is serious stuff. And a soapmaker has to be very careful.

Again, if they value body parts. And personally, I do.

Right now, you’re probably thinking. OH MY GAWD…NO WAY AM I GOING TO USE ANYTHING THAT TOXIC….now hold yer horsies, it is okay. Because ALL soap, regardless of the ingredients is made this way. Now, we’re still talking soap, not those chemical surfactant bars (more on those in a bit).

But I know what you’re thinking. Why, oh why, if soap is made with this ingredient (and it has to be, remember) is this stuff safe to use?  Well, because, if the soap is properly made…THERE WILL BE NO LYE LEFT IN THE FINISHED SOAP.

Yep, you read that right. No lye left. That’s because the lye, and the oils, have changed. They’ve become (chemically) a salt, which is soap. Think of lye as a greedy monster, gobbling up oil molecules. If there’s enough oil molecules, then when the lye is exhausted and the reaction is complete, no lye left. Just soap.

A bit more oil than needed? That’s called a superfat, and it produces a creamier lather (because of the unreactive oils), again no lye left.

A bit too little oil? Ummm, we have a problem. Cause that’s soap that is lye heavy, where you do have chemical lye remaining in the soap. It can burn your skin. It can hurt you.

How to know what type of soap you’re getting? Well, I’ve been criticized for this comment before, but I believe it so here it goes again.

DON’T BUY SOAP FROM NEW SOAPMAKERS.

I mean, like they made soap last month, or the last three months, and now they’re selling it to you. They may be following all of the precautions. But they may not, either. Their soap has not had enough time to age and see if it is shelf stable (DOS–dreaded orange spot–is rancid oils in soap…and this happens over time to even the best soapmaker. But newbies might not have a clue).

New soapmakers should not sell. I know. I’m sure folks will (again) disagree, but that’s what I think. They should, though, give their soap away to friends and family. Have people test it, give them feedback. I’ve seen lovely looking soap that didn’t lather worth a darn. Or left my skin feeling slimey. Not good. But you only know by using and finetuning your recipe.

There’s a lot of ground to cover here, but to shorten this (some) here are a few bits of information. Remember, lots of great folks makes lots of great soap. I think I’m definitely one of them. I’ve been making soap for nearly a decade. Yes, I’ve had some ‘interesting’ results (didn’t sell them) and sometimes I make stuff that flops (oh, you don’t like pea green colored soap…my bad).

CP: also called cold process soap. This is one of the traditional methods of soapmaking. Oils are combined with alkali (lye mixed with water or other liquid) and mixed together. Once a thick pudding texture is achieved, fragrances, colorants and other additives are added. Once poured into a mold, this soap requires time for the chemical reaction (making the raw soap into lovely gentle soap) to complete. Generally CP soap is ready to use in 6-8 weeks.

HP: Hot process soap. Take the same mixture as above and warm it, speeding the chemical reaction. Some folks use an oven. Some use a crockpot. This soap sets up fast and usually has a more rustic appearance because the soap solidifies faster than CP does. Usually ready to use in days.

MP: Melt & Pour. Make no mistake, this is still REAL soap. Okay, it could be a chemical surfactant bar, too. Depending on the base one buys. Read the ingredient labels of the soap you are interested in purchasing or talk to the soapmaker if possible (I’m always available to answer emails and obviously, I LOVE talking about soap). The base ols are still combined with lye in a gigantic cooker operation that produces various types of soap bases. From goat’s milk/shea butter enriched, to shaving soap, to ultra clear ‘glycerin’ soap (remember ALL soap has to contain glycerin…more on that in a bit).

That’s the basic 3. Of course, there are variations. And stuff like water discounts, and sap values etc. that mean nada to anyone who isn’t making soap.

Now for the bad stuff. Okay, ‘bad’ is a personal view. Chemical surfactant bars.

Yes, they could be of the MP variety (again, read the labels…read like a chemistry exam? Yep you got yourself a bona fide surfactant bar. I’d say ‘congrats’ but nah….buy some real soap, okay?). This includes those ‘lovely’ bases sold at the hobby stores (and some sold by professional companies). This also includes those ‘beauty bars’ or ‘bath bars’ sold at the megamart.

Why aren’t they called soap? They can’t be. By law. Soap must contain glycerin. Which is why the comment (sometimes with a bit of derision) about ‘glycerin soap’ is funny to me. Because soap contains glycerin. Yes, there are soap snobs within the soaper community (oh, my handmade is better than your handmade…meh….give me a break). So whether you’re buying a CP bar, a MP bar, a HP bar, a CPOP bar (yeah, it can get into all sorts of lovely alphabet soup acronyms), you just want soap, right?

And if you want soap, look for glycerin on the label. Now, keep in mind that in the US, soap does not have to list ingredients. But reputable soapmakers do. Why? Well, if you’re allergic to almonds, you might like to know if the soap is made with sweet almond oil, right?

I would. And that’s why I list every ingredient.

Well, this has gotten a bit long. Sorry about that. Feel free to comment and you can also drop me an email at info@coquettebath.com.  Or convo me at my Etsy shop (CoquetteBath). I look forward to hearing from you.

Soap is great. Just buy good soap, okay? If you like my soap, I’m offering a discount in my Etsy shop just for you.  Use code COQUETTEROX for 15% off your Etsy order.

I was at IKEA in Frisco, TX yesterday. Along with half of North Texas, or so it appeared! It was just wall to wall people. Not like that during the week…of course, given the amount of time it takes to ‘kinda’ see that place, not many folks can do that on a weekday.

I’ve been redecorating the house, recently. Since I don’t have a huge budget for this, I buy a few things at a time. My recent mission has been threefold: to get a couple new end tables, to find something to replace the UGLY china cabinet that I bought like a lifetime ago, and to figure out new seating for the living room.

I bought one thing yesterday to use as an end table. Keep in mind that I don’t like matchy matchy…I want things to coordinate but still be different. I have plans to take a round piece of wood and make an end table out of it (I’ve already made a dressing/makeup table for my bedroom). And that will be a project in the next few weeks. Stained flat black, it will go in the newly floored living room/den. But I needed at least one more item.

I bought a 4 hole IKEA Expedit unit yesterday. I did find some images online, but because of copyright, I’ll take one, myself, when it is done. Placed at the end of the couch, it should look pretty cool.

Right now, I’m also trying to decide what to do with this wall

Because the TV is nice. And the unit it is sitting on (an old credenza unit from the 1950′s) is really cool, it just needs ‘something’. So I think I’ll get a couple of bookcases to bracket it. With doors on them, they’ll be really cool and different. Have to decide between IKEA Billy (very cheap but also looks like it, with the thin wood…but this unit DOES have glass front doors that can JUST go on the lower part…like that). Or the HEMNES series. Solid wood (which I love) but the door covers the whole blasted thing. Which I do not love. I actually may get that and then ask a brother to help me make some doors, though…because I want to store out of season blankets and afghans and other items, like games. With open shelving on the top.

Maybe IKEA has something like that for this series, but if so, I haven’t found it yet.

But the bugger has been the issue of replacing this:

My ex and I bought this nearly 20 years ago. Back then, traditional furniture was a compromise. I’ve always preferred Scandanivan design. But he didn’t so…well, we compromised. Since, I haven’t liked it at all, but I have stuff that needs a home. So I’m thinking and thinking.

It is simply too hot around here (yeah, can’t avoid a weather report…) to do anything outside. We’re in a record drought in Texas and the temps have been in triple digits for the past 35 days or so. I hear we’re to hit 108 this week. And I’m in shock. After a frigid winter and now this…

Hope your weekend is going well. And that you’re getting something done. Oh yeah, I have to make soap today. Restocks on about EVERYTHING. And a new soap is coming…a red/white/blue floral. I haven’t ever seen anything like that before. Which is exactly why I want to do one!

See ya!