CURIO for the Holidays: The Bundles

I'm thrilled to say that it's been busy on the CURIO* front. Between my Etsy and local orders, I feel a bit like Santa. Like chic Santa.

In the holiday spirit, I've assembled 3 bundles that may appeal to your loved ones (or to yourself)!

CURIO* Visage:

CURIO* Visage

This is your perfect daily face kit - which I, for one, swear by. It's luxe, organic, simple, exceedingly moisturizing - and each product smells more delicious than the next!

It includes:

• Serum A OR Serum B (your choice) (1 oz in glass with pump closure)
• Neroli Hydrosol (2 oz in glass with spray closure)
• Eye Balm A: Rose (0.5 oz in glass jar)

I have written extensively about these on the Etsy shop and on the blog (see sidebar)- so please peruse the relevant listings to find out more about ingredients and usage.

CURIO* Corps:

CURIO* Corps

Body Oil A is a gorgeous combination of Apricot Kernel Oil and essential oils - either Ylang Ylang and Grapefruit OR Neroli and Rosewood - each in a 2 oz glass bottle with pump for easy dispensing. What I've discovered is that people who buy one always come back for the other, so why not sell them together as a lovely treat for the body after a morning shower or delicious bath.

Again, the Etsy shop listing and sidebar will give you all the deets you need to know...

CURIO* Three Wise Salves: 

CURIO* Three Wise Salves

What can I say, the naming got away with me!

Winter is a time for preserving moisture and rebuking the cold and damp. Between Arnica Salve (for muscle-aches), Immortelle Salve (for rheumatic aches) and Calendula Salve (for scrapes and cuts), you'll have it covered with this bundle.

All salves (2 oz each) are made with organic, extra virgin olive oil infused with flowers (and enhanced with essential oils). Of course, the Etsy shop listing and my blog sidebar will tell you more, so look over at those for more details.

Just a hint: Each of these salves works terrifically for giving (or getting) massages, just sayin', and the immortelle salve, in particular, has an off-script use as eye balm, so I've been told.

In the interests of full disclosure, the new year may well bring price increases, given the current value of the Canadian dollar and the fact that I import many of my components from other countries. So do stock up now if you're in the mood.

As always, do let me know if you have any questions - I'm pleased to chat. And happy holiday shopping! Here's to giving gifts from the comfort of your own couch. xo

This Is Why I Cosmetically Preserve Aqueous Solutions

Recently, as part of my testing phase for Face Cleanser A, I purchased a microbial test kit to ensure that what I might sell would be entirely safe for consumption. As I've harped about excessively, I use a cosmetic preservative in all of my hydrous products because, um, grossness and danger of germs!!! I also tested my shampoo and conditioner (I won't sell these but, hell, I'm using them!) and, as a control, I tested an "all natural" sun cream with grapefruit seed extract acting as the "preservative". That product, I bought.

I used test batches of product that I made between mid and late September. The face cleanser, specifically, was made on Sept. 28 and I tested it on Oct. 12 (I waited 2 weeks, which is the recommended length of time). The shampoo and conditioner were made on Sept. 15. The control product was made in the summer sometime (I assume) as I'd owned it since July. Note: I bought it specifically to test and I never used it.

Then I waited 2 weeks (you should wait a minimum of 5 days but after 2 weeks you'll get a very accurate result). The tech sheet (test instructions and interpretation info) is available here. One side of the slide is coated in rose bengal agar (pink side) and the other with nutrient-ttc agar (orange side) - to interact with potential germs. In simple terms, one side reveals broad-spectrum bacterial growth and the other fungal growth.

Here's what was revealed:

Face Cleanser A: Clean!

The slides have these little plus signs on them which is the texture you can see on the agar. These were completely clear of any discoloration anywhere. I'm thrilled by this - though not surprised - because I love this cleanser (as do many others at this point) and I think CURIO clients will too. I'm extremely careful about using the appropriate amount (no more or less than necessary) of preservative. I bought a special scale to assist with this.

Shampoo A: Clean!

Same as above.

Conditioner A: Clean!

Note that with this product, given its texture, I had to use a sterile swab to rub it on the agar slides which is why you can see a bit of white creaminess in a couple of spots. It's not germs - it's just the residual conditioner...

But, Lord, this is what scared the CRAP out of me:

Purchased, "Naturally Preserved" Product: UTTER FAILURE!

If you can believe it, this is the orange side.

I was so freaked out by this I could barely hold the slides to take the photos. Honestly, I was holding my breath at the same time. I can't even look at the pictures!!!

People, run - don't walk - when you see nicely packaged lotions and cleansers containing water but not a cosmetic preservative. This is danger on a stick. (Scientists - feel free to disagree with me but I don't care what you say. Ugh!) I haven't looked up what's going on with this product - on my tech sheet - because frankly, I don't fucking care. I'm never using this and my only dilemma now relates to the person who made the natural product and whether / how I'm going to bring this to her attention.

If you'll excuse me, I have to take a shower.

Thoughts or feelings?

What You Can't See

If you use any commercially-available cosmetic or personal care product - and you're in the VAST minority if you don't, you might want to read this post. Cosmetic preservatives are not a "nice to have", they're a must. Toxins be toxic, peeps, and the only way to keep them out of hydrous (water-containing) products is by preserving those products. (Note: those oil-based products can be as natural as natural gets - that's why I love them so and sell them!!)

There are no proven, all-natural preservatives on the market at this time. That's not to say that there are no natural options or that they definitively don't work, but they're not well-studied (potentially cuz there's no profit in it for the Man, I realize). FYI, the leucidal preservatives (relative market newbies that are made from plants and are on the more natural end of the spectrum) have a pretty bad rep and you need to use them in very high concentrations, by comparison with the synthetic versions.

What I didn't realize till recently is that many commercial "natural" brands hide their preservatives in the ingredients list under the INCI nomenclature "Fragrance" (which is a preservative containing product).

You often can't see or smell mold and yeast and fungus and gram negative bacteria in a hydrous product until they're rampant (and sometimes not at all). But put a sample under a microscope and it's a horror show!

I'm not going to suggest that test-tube cosmetic preservatives are something you'd want to eat. I'm certainly advocating that they be used in the recommended volume (which is always a very small amount). I stay away from the ones that seem unnecessarily evil (those containing parabens), though I'm not a scientist - so I read and make my determinations at a layperson level. It is possible that Big Cosmetic Pharma is fucking us over. But it's absolutely certain that nature will, if we use an unpreserved hydrous product more than 3 days after it's made.

In Which I Go On (at Length) About Perspective

Let me tell you a story - a really, long freakin' story but one that's going to be interesting, I promise. Even if you care nothing of face cleanser (and I don't know who could possibly fit that description), this is going to hold your attention. It's about natural skin care and how the medium is the message, the medium being advertising in this case - branding more to the point. I've got some peripheral chemistry to throw in, you know, for kicks, and some germ-phobia that I come by rather naturally. Get a drink.

OK, so I started making face cleanser prototypes a couple of weeks ago. As I've mentioned, I'm not making oil-cleanser (a worthy undertaking that just isn't my thing). I'm using surfactants and a bunch of other things that can be tricky to pronounce. The vast majority of those things originate in plants, even as some of them are rather refined. A couple of things have been born in a test tube, cosmetic preservative, for example.

Here are the ingredients in one of my recent batches (as per the cute label I devised):

Neroli Hydrosol, BSB (plant-derived surfactant blend), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (plant-derived surfactant), Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Pro-vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Oat Protein, Rosemary Extract, Crothix (to thicken), Essential Oil blend, Germall Plus (preservative)

Let me tell you what this recipe produces: A slightly pearly, mildly sudsing, nicely viscous, moisturizing (but oil and dirt removing), fantastic smelling, truly cleansing (but not drying) cleanser.

It manages to be quite effective for those with dry, balanced or oily skin, as long as they're not on the outer margins of either extreme. It works very well for me (thanks to rosemary, neroli, surfactants and my EO blend) and I've got super oily skin. But it's not drying, given the inclusion of protein, Crothix and glycerin. I hope you'll agree that it's not dense on ingredients. My goal is to stay as simple as possible.

Here's a bit more about the proposed benefits of specific ingredients, just to keep it fun:

Neroli hydrosol: One of my fave floral distillations, this not only smells awesome - slightly like orange blossoms - but it's good for oil control and, in some brands, it's used for acne-control.

BSB: This is a low sudsing blend which is known for gentleness. Often included in baby products.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Long name, but it's even more gentle than BSB. It comes from coconuts, 100%. Apparently it suds better than BSB. I don't know if I concur.

Aloe Vera juice: This is pure, not cut with other stuff, and it's apparently full of protein, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B12, C and E, essential fatty acids as well as amino acids and "skin rejuvenating" enzymes.

Panthenol: I mean, this protovitamin is in everything. It's moisturizing up the yin yang - an emollient and a humectant.

Oat Protein: This is a moisturizer that's known for its ability to impart "softness" to the skin.

Rosemary Extract: Not to be confused with the essential oil or any of the other 8 zillion versions of rosemary, this is an amber liquid taken from the rosemary leaf. It's astringent (good for keeping oils in check) and it imparts the feeling of tone to skin. 

Crothix: This one's from a test tube. It adds thickness to a surfactant-water blend that otherwise feels like watered-down shampoo. Modern skin care has trained us to relate to a product with a certain viscosity. I use a tiny 1% in my formula but it transforms it from thin to plump. This substance is also moisturizing.

Essential Oils: So as not to make this post even longer than it's destined to be, let's leave this blend a mystery. But the EOs are all therapeutic-grade (whatever that means) and designed to bring skin-balance and sensory pleasure (Kristin's special domain!).

Germall Plus: While, this product is the least concerning of the many cosmetic-grade preservatives I've researched, I'm aware it's a tough sell. Don't worry, I'm gonna sell it. Though oil-only products do not get germy (but will eventually go rancid), as soon as you mix water and oil, you create a beautiful environment for bacteria, yeasts and mold. Germall Plus is a broad-spectrum preservative that, when used in the appropriate volume - which is a miniscule 0.1 - 0.5% - kills all the crap that could produce a bad infection, or kill someone who's immuno-compromized. Diss it all you want. I'm going to test the shit out of some naturally preserved product as I recently found a fab way to order test kits online. (I'm waiting for a 10-pack to arrive.) But until I'm sure that grapefruit seed extract is going to keep microbes at bay, I'm using the Germall.

Brief digression: These cleanser ingredients fall into 3 camps, as far as I'm concerned: "natural", "test tube lite" and "hardcore".  I put everything but BSB, Germall Plus and Crothix into the natural category. We can agree to disagree if you'd like. There's no real definition of natural, after all. Test tube lite ingredients are BSB and Crothix. BSB is plant-derived, but it's more refined than some other surfactants (and less refined than others). Crothix is considered to be entirely non-toxic but it's not natural. The Germall is hardcore, needless to say. 

As it happens, I'm open to using other surfactants - decyl glucoside, for example. It's an ECOCERT-designated product made of plant sugar. But I've heard that this stuff is useless at suds - which I require, even if they're not popular these days. It can also be a bit filmy, apparently, if used in ratios above 5%. I'm going to try it (I have some, I'm just not motivate), but I'm not overly optimistic. On the topic of Crothix, I'm also happy to use other thickeners, though I don't have concerns about this product, based on what I've read.

I'm decidedly not interested in foregoing the 0.5% of preservative that will prevent my potion from becoming a vat of germs. Again, I intend to experiment with the natural preservatives even if testing is simply a moment-in-time undertaking. I will leave some naturally preserved hydrous product in a window for 2 months and then test it. Am I happy to go all-natural as long as I'm confident that it's feasible? Yes. But currently I seem to have 3 choices: 

• Make un-refined, plant-based skin care bi-weekly and store in fridge. Ain't my lifestyle, alas.

• Make plant-based skin care as needed (every few months), with natural preservative. Likely to produce germ-filled products. Not happening until sample-tested. I fear potentially harmful germs. Mind you, if grapefruit extract keeps the bugs away, I'm happy to use it in place of something from a test tube.

• Make plant-based skin care, as needed (every few months), with cosmetic-grade preservative. In appropriate quantity, will prevent microbial growth for up to 2 years. Test this product on a variety of occasions, over lifespan, to confirm effectiveness.

A couple of other things before I get very sassy with the whole idea of style over substance.

• I'm pretty serious about using minimally refined and unprocessed skin care - when it stays on my face and soaks into my skin (like a face moisturizer). The surfactant/oil/water-based cleansers (face, shampoo, conditioner) wash off, so I'm not particularly concerned by a small amount of chemical refinement.

• What I really like about this cleanser is how beautifully it actually cleans my face without drying it out at all. I've actually never encountered this in a product before.

• While I don't like how surfactants and sulphates impact the environment, I don't believe (at this time, based on what I've read), that they're particularly, directly dangerous for people. Most of us use them in most of our personal care products (from health food or drug store), and have no negative reaction. Having said this, I don't want to unbalance the earth by contributing to an over use of these products. This cleanser employs small amounts of high-quality surfactants so it doesn't suds overly much. I mean, it suds enough to make me feel alright (cuz I loathe the feeling of washing my face with something that doesn't cut oil), but not an iota more.

• I'm amazed by the quality of product I can produce as a home-chemist. It's not like sewing - where the crafter generally can't compete with the quality of most RTW brands - because (s)he just can't source the highest-quality fabrics. I really think that, at this point, that the skin care crafter is on a pretty even playing field with the commercial producer. It's a very well-organized field of endeavor.

OK, but here's where I'm going with this topic. These same ingredients are correctly labeled by INCI nomenclature, you know, the science-y sounding words. When written that way, here's what's in my simple, fairly natural and, in my opinion, sustainable cleanser:

Citrus aurantium amara (Neroli),  PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate, Quaternium-15 (BSB), Cocamidopropyl Betaine,  Aloe Barbensis Leaf Extract (Aloe Vera), Glycerin,  DL-Panthenol (Panthenol),  Hydrolyzed Oats (Oat Protein), Rosmarin officinalis leaf extract (Rosemary Extract),  PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate (and) Aqua (and) PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides (Crothix), Essential Oil blend,  Propylene Glycol and Diazolidinyl Urea and Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (Germall Plus)

Once again, the original (and the label version - for space reasons if no other!):

Neroli Hydrosol, BSB (plant-derived surfactant blend), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (plant-derived surfactant), Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Pro-vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Oat Protein, Rosemary Extract, Crothix (to thicken), Essential Oil blend, Germall Plus (preservative)

Pretty interesting, no? It takes some perfectly real, discernable ingredients and makes them sound clinical. And it implies that some other ingredients (which are considered entirely safe for use and present in teeny quantities), comprise a "meaningful" volume of the product.

Which one of these versions is obfuscating things?

It's a bit like freaking out when you discover that you've been wearing a bra that's 3 cup sizes too small. Your boobs didn't get any bigger for discovering the truth about size. And really, unless you're pretty serious about it, you're already using most of these (vetted) products - and many others that are possibly, infinitely worse for you and the world. 

The more I "do" chemistry, the more I respect the composition of things - composition of the finished product and of the components that make it up. I highly encourage it because it facilitates a very practical skill - chemical discernment. Note: I do realize that I am beyond novice in this field and I'm speaking entirely from that vantage point, but I know so much more about this topic than I did last year - and it's empowering

Lord, if you've made it this far, you deserve a cookie. I'm curious to know your thoughts on this topic. Are you one of those peeps who washes her hair with baking soda? Do you buy off the rack at Sephora with nary a glance at the unpronounceable ingredients? Do you shop where the labels show you what you want to read? Seriously - let's talk!

Curio (Potions for Skeptics): Get Curious

So, a propos of my previous post, I do promise that this isn't going to turn into a blog about skin care products (namely ones that I make and sell). Mind you, one requires a marketing platform. I figure if 8 years of blogging should buy you something, it's a well-travelled space. For the moment, this is where I'll give you all the deets (you know I have approximately 8000 per potion), and the pretty photos. Having said this, I'll make my post titles pretty clear so, if this isn't your scene, you won't be lulled into reading.

This, ahem,  nascent business is a growth opportunity for me, inasmuch as it's a vehicle for providing terrific product at a reasonable price. As you know, I'm a professional with a bat-shit, crazy-paced day job. I have a 15 year old daughter, need I say more? The back of my century home is (technically) falling off. I sew and knit and bake and garden etc. The point: I'm doing this in my own way, at my own pace - but the standards will be high because I expect that of myself and, natch, you should expect that too.

I don't propose to be an expert entrepreneur at this moment, but I am most definitely an expert consumer. I know what I want, what I will buy, what I will spend. I also know what good skincare looks like, for me, and how to combine raw ingredients to create a beautiful finished product. The reason I have an inventory of 11 products, 6 months in, is because my motivation is always to make things for myself that I will use. I've decided to stop buying the majority of products I spend a fortune on, because I can make them because I like to make them (and also to control the quality). But you know I don't go slowly!

If something doesn't work, it's out the door. And, peeps, I am a bitch of a tester. Furthermore, in the last 6 months I've gifted (aka market tested) my wares amongst dozens of people of all skin-types and needs. Yeah, super small sample size, I know. But they've provided feedback, which has been carefully considered. They've also, to a one, come back for more.

My mandate for myself - and by proxy for anyone who might choose to use my potions - is to wear natural skincare which is not fussy, which is elegant and which is sustainably sourced (to the best of my abilities). I will pay for quality, but I will not pay for a name. Oh, and all the things must smell fucking awesome because everything should.

How it Works: What I intend to do is to profile individual potions in separate posts (not specifically in back-to-back posts, but when the info is available and as I have time to produce the content). Until I have the opportunity to move this topic to a new platform, the information will be stored in the sidebar (like my Sock Tutorial of a couple of years ago).

Technically, I'm open for business so if you read about any particular product and you'd like to know more, reach out to me by email at kristinm100 at yahoo dot ca. While I'm still determining long-term costs of shipping, for the moment, assume that it will be 10 dollars to Canada, US or UK (I can provide estimates to those in other places). This is in line with what I've spent to-date to mail potion parcels. Actually, the cost is sometimes higher within Canada but I cannot bring myself to charge my national neighbours a higher shipping fee than I would my international ones. If I discover, over time, that the shipping costs are routinely higher or lower in any location, I'll alter the prices. I will be entirely transparent. That's how I roll.

For starters - and again, this ain't no hard launch - my brand is called Curio. Those of you who know me IRL will know that's a play on my last name. My tag is "Potions for Skeptics" because that's what I am and IMO, that's what everyone should be.

Thanks to all of you who've reached out so far, to find out more, to be my first clients (or to offer your blogging review services). Next up, Serum A.

Curio (Potions for Skeptics): Soft Launch

So, I do intend to show off my new skin care line (I find this concept hilarious) with a fun post or 10 (don't worry - this is not going to turn into a Kristin Sells Potions blog) but I've received a few emails inquiring about what might be available and when.

In the interests of, well, sparking interest - here's a list of my preliminary offerings:

• Lip Balm to rival Burt's Bees (And organic)

• Serum (Beautifully hydrating but in NO way greasy)

• Hand / Body Lotion (It's got excellent glide - not slippery but not too thick...)

• Hydrosol - Neroli (It works perfectly with the Serum... I source this because I'm not equipped to make it, currently.)

• Deodorant (This is like the crack cocaine of my skin care products. All of my friend and family testers want a container, and then another. It's not crunchy-granola - I can't abide that. And it works shockingly well.)

• Roll On Perfume (I can customize this. But I love my beautiful Cedar and Ylang Ylang version.)

• Arnica Salve (Awesome for muscle pain. Smells great.)

• Calendula Salve - (Awesome for booboos. Smells even better.)

• Immortelle Salve (Awesome for softening scar tissue and rheumatic pain. Also appreciated for its "youthening" properties. Note: I'm not here to convince you that well-made, natural skin care will make you look 10 years younger. It will make you look better and the beautiful scents will improve your mood. Essential oil therapy is notably entrenched in my lifestyle and has been since I was a child. I use it in many ways but it is never more valuable to me than in its ability to transform my state of mind. FWIW, scent blending is my my most intuitive art.)

• Body Oil – Ylang Ylang / Grapefruit (A floral citrus, blend that brings out the best of both.)

• Body Oil – Neroli / Rosewood (A deep floral with a chypre subnote.)

• Eye Serum A (The original is very popular but I'm not quite satisfied quite yet. This is in the works and should be ready in the near future.)

I promise to take attractive photos of each (highlighting tasteful labels) and providing details about the organic ingredients and their reputed benefits. This is in the works - if only because I find these products so lovely that I have to capture them as part of the journal of my life and creative pursuits. FYI, I use them all - all the time - and I wouldn't bother if I could buy stuff that I considered to be better. Y'all know that's how I roll.

Having said this, if you're interested to try anything between now and who can say exactly when, feel free to email. I can regale you with the narratives which underpin each product and (slightly more mundanely) with info about cost and shipping, which I do not mark up, as you know. Moreover, my interim pricing will be discounted by 10 %, per product, as I iron out the kinks in the process and refine the brand to suit my own strict specifications.

As they say, if you're interested, holla. This stuff truly is gorgeous. I hope to wrangle a few long-standing bloggers into trying it and posting (absolutely honest) reviews. And, if you're interested in participating in that way, let me know.

Spring Tease

We're all over the scale here - 90km winds, 10 degree temperature spreads every day, wretched freezing rain and, very occasionally (like for 2 hours every week), some sun and encroaching warmth.

April really is the cruelest month (well, with the exception of January, February and March). Yeah, I know we're in the home stretch. But what I would give to walk out of the house without waterproof shoes with treads, a scarf/hat/gloves and a fucking coat.

Refusing to let the weather get me down, I bought these tulips a few days ago and I'm thrilled by how they've opened:

Are they not the most cheerful things you've ever seen? They look even better in real life. Their little pointy petals are perfection!

To ease the transition - and to mentally extend myself to warmer climes - I decided to make a couple of T shirts. Last weekend M and I made a one which we're sharing (first time she's asked to sew something with me, like, evah). She kept her focus, which is admirable given her nature, but she did more watching than anything else. We'll see if she wants to give it another go... This weekend she has "other plans" including appearing in her friend's film (said friend goes to art school and this is one of her assignments). She's an extra in a party scene, pretending to be from the 90s, and she looks utterly awesome! She straightened her hair and bought this black moto-jacket (from H&M but it's an shockingly good fast fashion fake). I wish she'd have let me take a photo cuz she looks totally NYC mean girl circa 1994.

At any rate, last weekend's sewing event reminded me of how fun it is to sew T shirts and how really easy it manages to be. Not to mention that I have a great sloper and practically all of my RTW T's have bitten the dust. Seemed like a no brainer to pull out the fabric in my stash. Did I mention that I've somehow managed to buy the same fuchsia fabric from multiple vendors, like 3 times? I don't even know how that's possible. People, it's identical.

Today was about using up some blue fabric. I know, what a shock, I've got yards of navy jersey. Alas, nothing wanted to photograph well, but whatcha gonna do?:

I urge you not to use cheap jersey. That's what I did (with the navy above) and my serger ate it as it sewed the seams. Now there are micro tears at the shoulders - revealed as I stretched this thing all to shit over my too-wide dress form. Oh well, I'll wear it 5 times and toss it. The fun was in using a contrast fabric (that floral is a Liberty jersey, used previously to make a Lady Skater). I bought it at Ewe Knit - an excellent place for both fabric and yarn, also my LYS. Alas, I've been very absent there over the past winter. Not knitting much has had the impact of precluding yarn purchase. Sigh.

I also used the Liberty to make this 3/4 sleeve version:

Technically, the shoulder seams start about 1/2 inch inside the shoulder of the dress form...

This fabric is all that. I mean, I don't love that the pattern lightens as it stretches (cuz it's printed onto white jersey), but it's forgivable given the beautiful hand, drape and recovery it also sports. I bought 2 yards of this and used about 1.3 to make a Lady Skater (which I wear all summer). This was a chance to use up the remainder, though I did keep small scraps (not like me) because I want to use those for contrast binding when I make my next navy T.

I lengthened my sloper by 1.5 inches. It was always on the short side but, due to body changes, I do need the extra length or it would ride up over the course of the day. Fun thing about Ts is that you can pretty well stick with the same size, once you've figured out your sloper (barring serious weight changes). Length gives you any necessary additional fabric if, say, your bust or lower abdomen change in size or shape slightly.

So, that's the first half of my Saturday. I think I'm off to make some calendula and immortelle salves. I've been thinking a lot about my skincare line (cuz at this point, that's kind of what it is). People have started asking me to sell it (including a local hair studio), which is very encouraging. I do wonder about how viable it would be to add a little sideline business to my already busy life. Mind you, I make this stuff whether I sell it or give it away. Might as well recoup my costs and make a bit of fun money. And I LOVE it when people enjoy the product and tell me that it makes a difference, that their skin is improved, that they love the scent of my serums and oils, that the salves work to heal, as is their purpose.

I'm still perfecting my brand - improving packaging, refining the look at which point I do intend to show off my pretty potions with details. What do you think? In theory, would you care to buy skincare from a blogger friend? I mean, I have. And I buy online all the time. But I'm my target market, after all :-)

What Am I Up To?

Not sure if you know this, but I really don't like Easter. IMO, it's the worst of all the holidays. As a child, I had to go to church on all three days (Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday). The meal never appealed to me. There was always tons of cleaning up that somehow was delegated to me. And it inevitably fell in the week of my mother and sister's birthdays (and now my kid's). So there was already tons of hoopla happening and none of it was about me. Not to mention that the weather on Easter, in TO, always sucks. To wit: today, there's snow on the ground.

(Lest I hear about this on the flip side, I will disclose that my parents always got us excellent, little Easter-morning gifties and left a rhyming poem from the Easter Bunny to give us hints about where they were hidden. But, sorry, nothing could make up for the endless church-going.)

So I don't celebrate. Of course, it would be utter hypocrisy for me to celebrate, what with my not being a practicing religious person. But I don't even get into it culturally. Really, I prefer Passover as a holiday. It seems more lively, though it could benefit from a nice spiral ham :-).

Lest you think I never eat an Easter dinner, most years my best friend Hilary invites my family to her house, along with her family. Sadly, her aunt recently died (one of the long-standing wonderful participants), and this year, naturally, the celebration is being held very close.

The upshot is that I don't have a damn thing planned for this long weekend - unless you count my kid's 15th birthday dinner (which happened on Thursday), dinner with friends (that was Friday) and a big-ass chicken tonight (cuz Scott feels it's sad not to eat a roast of some sort when other people are doing the same).

As a result, I've been doing all the Kristin-things:

• I'm getting there with my skin care "brand". I've done a lot of work to improve my labels and, while there are many glitches still to correct, I'm on the right track.

• Made skin-care: Lotion A, Deodorant A (this time it worked!), Serum A (I go through this stuff). (I can't keep my potions in stock because everyone I know wants them. Makes me feel very popular, in truth.)

• Bought more freakin' ponte from FabricLand. While this isn't like me, earlier in the week, I decided to buy the additional amounts I required (to bolster amounts of left-over fabric, after making every possible muslin for McCall's 6844) without bringing swatches to the store. I've given all of the muslins away (they were VERY popular with friends) but I didn't want to waste the 1/2 metre remaining, of all the fabrics, when I could just buy another metre and have enough to make them all again (or something else, for novelty). How hard could it be, I mused, to remember which bolts I'd already purchased from? Well, apparently harder than you'd think. It's amazing how I messed up, given that there were only 4 blue fabrics to choose from. So I had to go back and buy more in the actual colours I have remnants of, and more in the colours I'd erroneously bought on Monday. Let's just say my plan backfired but I sure do have a lot of blue ponte in the stash right now.

• I finally implemented the alterations to the next version of McCall's 6844. One should always do this immediately after making the last muslin. I started the process but lost interest (having sewed all day prior to realizing that muslin 4 was also a bust). Yesterday I spent quite some time remembering what I wanted to do and implementing the changes. Lord, I do hope muslin 5 is the well-fitted final or I do think I'm done with this.

• I'm currently sewing McCall's 6844 muslin 5. Hope to have this done today...

• I'm also knitting sock 1 of Kristin's Simple Sock Recipe. Note: This has been in the works for a while but I can't knit for more than 10 minutes at a time without taking a break, so who knows when we'll see the finished pair. How cruel to realize that I cannot live without handknit lounge socks at a time when knitting binges cause pain.

So that's my weekend. But what about you? Do you celebrate Easter (or some sort of holiday on this long weekend)? Are you working on your special fun crafts? What's up with you? Let's talk!

Where I'm At

Well, I don't think I'd use the term "energetic" to describe my proposed weekend. It's going to involve a minimal amount of movement or going out, at least today. Minus 10, peeps. Ah, springtime, TO-style.

No mind, there's nut milk to be made (without cocoa, mildly concerned to say). I'm out of cocoa and I'm not venturing to the store. Also, I've got tons of potions to create. Birthdays are coming up, new formulas need testing. After my last purchase at Voyageur (the excellent place in BC where I get a variety of the supplies I require), I must admit that I've become a bit like the potion cat-lady.

Look, here's my take on things: I love to make stuff and, for the most part, I'm pleased with the results. I attribute my success to the fact that I don't skimp on the building blocks. If you want to sew beautifully, make sure you've got the equipment and all of the notions (including that PITA, clear elastic stay tape). If you want to bake beautifully, go out and get those weird ingredients you only use occasionally. (When they're called for, once in a blue moon, you'll have them.) If you're a knitter - you're really best to have samples of yarns in all the gauges in your stash - and all the needle sizes.

And if you're a skin care aficionado, you need to be outfitted will all of the things to make all of the things you intend to make. Sure, skin care is a broad domain - and you can work with very few ingredients - but if you expect to veer into any new territory, chances are you need obscure things that you will not be able to find up the block. And not having those things will preclude you from making a potion that works. Cuz it's not rocket science - but it is organic chemistry.

Here's a peek at a portion of my stash of skin care stuff (well, a portion of the non-refrigerated stuff - the fridge stuff takes up its own mini-shelf):

What I'm aiming to make today:

• Lotion A, 3, 2.5 oz bottles
• Lip Balm
• Arnica Salve, 3 - 4 containers
• Essential Oil, roll-on perfume - 2 bottles (NEW recipe)
• Face Serum A - 1 bottle
• Deodorant A - test batch

Updated: What I made in the end:

• Lotion A - 1 bottle (2.5 oz)
• Lip Balm - 3 tins
• Arnica Salve - 4 containers
• Essential Oil roll-on perfume - 2 bottles (Oh, this is a trip! So fun, so easy, so cute.)
• Face Serum A - 1 bottle
• Deodorant A - 1 large stick, 3 small sticks

And in addition to the zillions of ingredients required (albeit in very small quantities), I have acquired an assortment of the most adorable containers:

C'mon - is this not a fun container??

These will look much better with my labels - BTW, my brand looks good!

Oooh, just like the ones you find at the fancy stores (where the product costs 40 bucks)

Not exciting, but they do the job well...

When I was a kid I always wanted a chemistry set. As a 10 year old, I would go into the kitchen and mix together all of the ingredients I could find, just to see what would happen. A penchant for baking is what came of that dalliance. I find it amusing that, as an adult, I'm using chemistry to make entirely practical, and beautiful things. Goes to show that high school isn't a total waste of time - especially when bolstered by the modern internet. 

I hope to have some fun finished product to show you (labels and all) over the next little while.

Now off to sterilize!