2017; A New Year

We've almost made it, 2016 is just about a memory; albeit a bad memory. Here's hoping we get through the rest of it intact.

I'm finishing up the year replenishing soap stocks. I made a batch of Lavender Meringue Goat's Milk Soap this week.

This is probably the most labor intensive soap I make. The meringue on the top is a whipped shea butter soap. It's then dusted with a lavender mica for color.

The bottom soap is rich in olive oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. I then use a lavender clay to color it and scent it with lavender and a touch of peppermint essential oils.

By using a little peppermint essential oil, I find the lavender essential oil holds it's scent better. Between the layers, I add organic lavender petals.

The final product provides a rich, decadent bathing experience!

I'd like to take a moment and thank all my great customers this year. I hope everyone who received Lora's Beauty for the holidays enjoys it and thank you for supporting a small business!

Here's hoping (and hoping and hoping) 2017 brings you happiness and joy!

Ed's hoping too (either that or he wants me to get the camera out of his face!)

Happy New Year and good riddance 2016!

Painted Chair

Well we're in the homestretch now. The holidays are officially stressful!

At least since we've past the Winter Solstice, the days are now getting longer..millisecond by millisecond, but it all adds up!

This has nothing to do with the painted chair, which I'm about to share, but we've taught Ed The Bird, as he's referred to around here, how to whistle the Andy Griffith Theme Song.  Now try getting that tune out of your head!

Anyway, this little chair Alec picked up free on the sidewalk and brought home. It was in excellent condition and aside from an ink stain on the rattan seat it really didn't need any work. That stain bugged me though and I figured the chair would look better painted anyway.

So after sitting on my workbench for a couple months, I painted it with milk paint of course.  The white is Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Ironstone and the gray is Real Milk Paint French Gray.

The chair has some nice details on the back. I used sandpaper to remove some of the paint so the original dark finish came through to accentuate the details.

The ink stain, after several coats of paint, finally quit bleeding through.

I'm hoping I'll find a nice little desk or table free on the sidewalk to pair with this chair.

Of course, this chair will be available in the Home and Patio Sale in July!

Snow and Cookies!

I don't have much to share this week beeeecaaaause......


SNOW!!!!

aaaaaaannnnd.....

COOKIES!!!

Yes, we got snow in Portland on Wednesday.  The snow photo was taken on Thursday so some of it melted.

Something about a snow day before the holidays makes me want to bake and the best cookie known to man is the chocolate chip cookie!

This recipe is Betty Crocker's because there's no need to mess with perfection (and lots of butter!).

There's still time to place an order from Lora's Beauty for delivery before the holidays! Nothing says "I love you" and "Happy Holidays" more than a bar of goats' milk soap!

Winter Is Here

Portland had it's first ice storm of the year last week. I very gingerly went outside to take some photos.

It's amusing to me when people talk about how Portlanders don't know how to drive in the snow. Well, this is the kind of snow we normally get. In this kind of weather, it's hard to leave your front porch, let alone drive.

It's important though, to keep the bird feeders stocked. Even the tiny hummingbirds are out and need food.

The ice and snow sure make for some beautiful photos.

Here's what's left of our summer peppers.

Our Christmas lights are hanging in there.

As are the tree branches.

This kind of weather makes for a great day to make soap and what kind of soap do you think of when it's icy out?

Why, Peppermint Menthol Goats' Milk soap of course!

Pick up a few of these beauties for the holidays!

A Few Quick Things For Friday

Weather permitting, we're getting our tree this weekend! Last weekend we did the annual drag out all the holiday lights, plug them in, confirm they don't work and throw them away. Just for fun, this year we added a step to the process and hung them outside BEFORE confirming they didn't work! *sigh* Anyway, we've got to pick up a few new strands of lights this weekend as well.

I haven't broken down and started playing holiday music yet. I usually start the week before, or sometimes, the night before Christmas. This song, though not really holiday music, got a nice update this year. The original version always sounded a little smarmy.

Tickets went on sale this past week for The Festival of the Dark Arts at Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon in February.  I wrote about the great time we had last year here. If you like dark beer, dark days, and dark arts, you shouldn't miss this.  Get your tickets quick, they go fast as do the hotel rooms!

I'm still restocking my soap reserves. This week I replenished the Patchouli Cedar Sage Goat Milk bar. This is a great bar for the men out there. It's packed with garden-fresh sage, cedar wood and patchouli essential oils, creamy cocoa butter, and olive oil. It contains a wonderful outdoorsy scent at the same time being a very luxurious soap. Pick up a few bars for the man in your life, or for yourself!

Shop Small

I've been busy replenishing my soap stock for the holidays.

I've made some more of the popular Cinnamon and Honey Goats' Milk soap.

There are so many benefits of cinnamon to skin and this bar is packed with it!

A touch of honey is also added to this bar for it's skin soothing properties.

Another popular bar, is my Little Black Bar made with activated charcoal.

Activated charcoal has been taking the beauty industry by storm for all it's skin benefits!

Both these bars, or any of Lora's Beauty's soaps, would make great, all natural holiday presents!

As always, there's Free Shipping for orders over $30!

Soap is something EVERYONE needs and your purchase supports a small business.

Checkboard Stool

This stool Jeff picked up one evening.  It was a little rickety but a nice, solid wood stool none the less.

It was definitely worth carrying home.

With a little paint and some tightened screws...it's transformed!

I used chalk paintto paint the entire stool.

I then taped off the top into 4 inch squares and filled in the outside and middle squares with milk paint.

This will be another item featured in the Home and Patio Sale in July!

New Free Finds

I've picked up a few small items free on the sidewalk recently.

This sweet, little metal water pitcher I probably would have even bought, but free is better and it doesn't need any work!

This magazine rack has the perfect mid-century look to it.  I'll clean up the brass and straighten a few of the spindles but all in all, a great find.

This stool, I have big plans for!  I can't wait to get started on in it and share the after pictures.

Finally, I picked up this step ladder at an estate sale. It wasn't free but at $3 it practically was. Step ladders sold really well in my last sale and with a little paint on this I have high hopes it will sell.

All these items will be in the Home and Patio Sale in July!

A Matching Set

Last month I shared this table redo. I finally managed to finish the chairs to complete the set.

These chairs were my parents but have been sitting in my workroom for several months.

They originally had this orange-brown finish. Cute, but orange furniture isn't my thing.

They have nice lines though and their simple style works well with the rustic table.

I painted two of the four chairs with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Layla's Mint.

I sanded them just a little to give them a worn look. I then finished them with Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil

This set will be available in the Home and Patio Sale next July!