That time I went to: The Soap Barn

I love Yankee Candles. The votive ones, jarred and even the Car Smart Scent Vent Clips. That got me thinking of some small scale candle making. So as we do, I Googled for raw products and Soap Barn popped up.

At first I was confused because I felt like this was some secret place that was kept from the world then I got angry when I found that this place was right under my nose! You literally pass it on the N3 Highway at Linksfield. I browsed the heck out of that website to make sure I'll get all the items. Since I found them I go in at least every six months.

The store looks basic but it is truly the Aladdin’s Cave for DIYers and hobbyists. You can buy single portions to bulk of raw items like fragrance, bicarb, Epsom Salt, clays, waxes to finished products like shampoo, bath bombs, lotion and soap. Even packaging and storage for finished items. This “basic” store can be genuinely overwhelming as the product possibilities are endless so I do suggest going on the website and browsing the recipes if you are not sure.

I have had multiple hauls from the store but here are a few repeat buys:

African Black Soap Pet shampoo:

What disturbed me about mainstream dog shampoo is that I had to wash my pets with soap that I have to wear gloves for. How is that safe? This bubbles up nice and rinses out with ease.

The African Black Soap range also has hand wash, shower 'gel' and shampoo, as wel as a solid soap for our not-so-millenials. I have bought a normal pet shampoo in between the black soap, but it dried out my pets' skin. I love this stuff. Add to cart 4 eva!

Pro Hack: I also add Tea Tree oil and in Mosquito time, Lemon Balm or Citronella, then re-poured it into their reusable pump bottle for easy use. (Also wastes less because it dispenses measured amounts rather than an endless stream) I wash two Amstaffs (mid sized dogs) weekly for 3 to 4 months with 500ml.

Shea Butter:

Now I know Black Girl Magic is about the mystic, beauty and strength of black women. But I bet if we reverse engineered Black Girl Magic, that a segment of it would be Shea Butter. It absorbs well and leaves skin with a glow. This winter is rough on my skin because I've been outside in the dry air more often. Also my feet become so dry i can litterally peel skin off my heels. TMI. I started dipping straight into my tub of Shea. It's expensive for the bigger 500ml tub but it will last longer than you think. It's heavy so you don't need a lot. NOW teach me more of your magic beautiful Black girls!

Pro Hack: I bought wind up lip balm tubes, melted some Shea and poured it. I'd like to think it work like those hip new type balm make up removers. It melts the make up off. I needed to remove a heavy liquid lip and it worked like a bawse.

Zinc Oxide:

The struggle with sunscreens for me was real. A few years ago, like, 5, I got a few red dots on my hand when I was on vacation. I chalked it up to stress. You know the type when you go away to relax and come back to triple the work because “It's-not-my-job”. That next year (exactly), after two days at the coast MY WHOLE BODY was covered in this rash. I was allergic to sunscreen.💀💀💀

For the next few years I had the worst time finding sunscreen. Then I decided to check out natural/ organic sunscreens and the prices shot up. It is double the money for an already expensive product.

When I saw this it just went straight into my basket and look at that price though. . . 👍👍

Pro Hack: Instead of mixing up a weird batch of a mixture of Shea and Coconut oil, mix it in with their Gel, Lotion or Aqueous cream Bases.

Bicarbonate of Soda:

I use this for a few applications. Here is my carpet powder. I also use it as a exfoliater, to remove build up of products in my hair, to stretch out washing powder. I use at least 1 kg a month so it's super economical for me to buy bulk.

Pro Hack: For stinging burns make a paste of bicarb and water and apply it on the burn. A few years ago I had a bad burn (I think it was close 3^rd degree) and today I can't even tell that I was burned. (images too graphic to post)

Candle Supplies:

This was my first haul here. AAW! That is why the clay is here as well as the balm tubes.

I wanted to make candles to use/ give as presents. The upfront starting price was a large amount but I still got more candles out of that than if I had to use that money to buy candles. I also made a healthier candle because I used soy wax.

The thing that really caught me out was the large fragrance range. From Almond, marshmallow to Watermelon and ylang-ylang. I wanted it all.

Pro Hack: Here is a website that works out fragrance loads. You're welcome.

Facial Mask Items:

If I had to have a 'True Life: Addicted to . . .', it would be face masks. I try and apply a mask at least once a week. I definitly can see the improvement in my skin, Break outs are more controlled and my skin looks more even. For the same price of a month's worth of clay masks, you could buy a bag of clay (Bentonite/ Kaolin/ English China) and few Essential oils (Lavender/Tea Tree/ Rosemary) and have masks for days.

Pro Hack: You can trend it up with some activated charcoal and because you are mixing it up yourself, it's fully customize-able to your skin's needs.

Containers:

I love the variety of containers available for finished products. From 500ml spray bottle to 2ml atomizer (I bought a few so I could decant some perfume for on the go in my handbag)

Pro Hack: Their packaging is super reusable. I like whipping up things and storing them in the tubs I bought them in.

Final Thought:

I feel like this shop is selling items anyone could make a business out of. A bath and body range.(I'm imagining with the Spa fragrance of Avo and cucumber or Bamboo) Candles. (Marshmallows or something weird like banana) Skincare. (Just add water mud masks or SLS & Paraben free face wash) House hold products. (Thinning out the Black Soap, add essential oils and use as a natural dish soap) Even cosmetics and fragrances. There are a million creative possiblities.

É's tips:

• WARNING!!! As with any new hobby, start up is a bit expensive but after that, you just buy as you use
  
• If you are looking into making candles, body butters and potions that require you to melt products. I suggest to buy a small pot and stirrers for your hobby. I lost a good pot to candle wax. 😢
• If you decide to use fragrances, be sure to work in a well ventilated area or else you will need to stop because headaches get real.
• International company, Yankee Candle, started with a guy who made a candle for this mom and people saw it and wanted one too.
• Hoelson Sisters Facial oils started with experimentation of basic oils.
• Lush started as a small business that made everything in-house.
• The Body Shop was started by Anita Roddick as income for her and her children

The Soap Barn Website and Facebook

That place is my jam. Go there.

é

D.I.Y. Bath Caddy

Ah yes and welcome back to the blog. Well today for you, I've got a post on something I wanted but don't have the money to need.

Now I have a Lush problem. A strong one.

Unicorn

Aesthetics

I post them to Instagram then search the hash tags I added and there are these people who use like 5 bath bombs in one tub. You've got too much money my friend but I digress. There are these people who know how to take a proper bath. I know it's probably staged but the romance of it had caught me.

Then when I went to a family braai and besides wanting to steel their oven and prawn sculpture:

they had these cute stainless steel bath caddy.

So started the search. Takealot.com had BUT when I had money it was out of stock. Then I saw again at Checkers in the home section and almost R400 it just that bit too much for a want. Walking past that to the section with the shelves and got inspiration. I thought why not but a shelf for a quarter of the price, cut and treat it and BOOM. If that happened, this post would be done BUT I did have a few things that I already have to make a cool bath caddy:

é Notice: The last time I did wood work I was 11/12 years old. It was part of Art and the male teacher did not care to teach girls properly because apparently girls don't need to know basic skills of wood work just like boys didn't need to know how to cook. School is sexist that way.

Wood (I had a pallet. Here and here are links from Takealot if you want to buy online)

Crowbar/ Pry bar / zombie smasher to take apart the pallet

Saw

Hammer

Nails

Note book

Tape measure

Pen or pencil to make notes and mark wood

The rest not pictured is:

Sanding paper (I had a Mouse I used)

Wood glue

Vinegar

Vegetable oil

Clean paint brush

First off I drew what I wanted and measured up the bath tub. I measured the width and the width of the edges of the tub:

Here I realised I should have taken wood work and technical drawing instead of art in High school

Then I took apart the pallet. Charlie had to be chased away a few times. As I'm taking apart the pallet I remove the nails. I don't feel like going to the vet or getting a tetanus shot. Too real for a cheap D.I.Y. today.

Charlie looking to go on a trip to the Vet

é Notice: I broke 2 planks while prying the pallet. Pallets aren't made with top notch wood and many stand out in the weather so be prepared for breaks and rotten wood.

Half way through I decided to deviate from my sketch and add a third slat (is that a term?) because I wanted the shelf a bit wider. I marked the wood with the measurements of how wide I wanted the caddy and started sawing:

I asked my ancestors why I was having trouble sawing and the answer I got is that I should let the saw do the work.

I used the off cuts of the pieces for the cross members.

I took out the Mouse and started sanding the slats. I used the 180 grit. I could go in with a finer grit but I didn't.

Now comes a more complicated part. Mark where you want the cross members. They keep the boards together and stops the caddy from freely moving around side to side. I glued it at the width of the edge of the bath at 6 cm. Then when it was dry I flipped it around and knocked nails through the top. I picked the the nail by sizing it so it goes through the cross member but not through the other side. Screws are apparently easier BUT I had nails

I didn't want to go to Builders to get a treatment for the wood. The one closest to me has staff who acted badly because of my hair (at the moment it is pink). (The security guard stared so hard at me he didn't even pay attention to what he was doing, then the ladies at the till points started screaming as they laughed at me which made me feel uncomfortable so I can only assume they don't want my money) So Home, DIY & Stuff had this easy solution. One part of vinegar to 3 parts cooking oil.

DONE!!!

rustic but I won't deduct points for that

I didn't fill the bath to stage because I took a shower the previous day. I also am too broke to buy new bath bombs, bubble bars or bath melts. So for this month we can just pretend. Also please note my Yankee Candle is also finished.😩😢😞

é

Spring 2015: How I'm getting ready for spring and trend forecast

This year winter was very sort lived in Gauteng in the middle of August I was already walking around in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. I haven't posted in forever as my office looks like this:

camp/ craft table chic. Yes, that is my build-a-bear My Little Pony

Here are the ways I'm getting ready for real spring and a forecast for things I think will be cool in the warm season:

Quick nail session:

Though warmer, GP winters are unforgivingly dry. I like to also wash my hands a bit extra and don't moisturise after. That leaves my hands dry and sometimes cracked. With winter we always wear shoes or socks so we never care for our feet as much as we do when its slop and sandal weather.

For hands supplies are a base and a polish, coconut oil for a cuticle oil, Epsom salt and olive oil for a scrub, a file (mine is glass) and a cuticle pusher.

Start off by combining the olive oil and salt and scrubbing your hands with it. The salt removes the dead skin and the oil moisturizes. Use an orange stick to push back your cuticles. Mine looked super horrible. Paint and enjoy. (Enjoy BEFORE IT CHIPS)

AAAHHHH Feet!

For my feet I soaked them for 20 to 30 minutes. I added green tea with mint. While the toe nails are soft, cut them and push back the cuticles. Remember to start painting with a base coat to protect the nails from discolouration.

Nail Truth

è trend prediction: I think colours on trend for the hot season will be white as well as matt colours rather than nail art. Toes are always bright. My fave white polishes are Signiture's Solid Ice and Essence's Wild white ways. Essence is also launching a matt white latex effect polish called The White Bunny.

I like the glow in the dark top coat.

Hair colour refreshing:

My attempt to propagate lavender there at the back

Spring is a time when most refresh their hair. If it's with colour or a hair cut. The preserve both best is with an awesome shampoo and conditioner. Tresemme's Naturals shampoo is lower in Sulphate that preserves your colour and the conditioner is Silicone free to prevent build up.

è trend prediction:I 

I think hair colour trends will still lean towards the unnatural. Grey/ silver hair, sand art hair and double processed blond is still going strong on social media. I predict hair care will come more to the forefront. It's easy to chemically treat your hair. The trick is looking after it.

Shiny temporary tattoos

It's a trend I think will carry on this season. I think some designs are so simple and chic.

Strobing aka Highlighting:

Yup its everywhere. I always have had an obsession with it because at every beauty sale I always look for the shiny white powders to highlight with. You don't necessarily need a specialised product. Though I did buy Catrice's Kaviar Gauche's blurring pearls and have been using that recently.

I prefer this to writing up about spray tan or tanning. Highlighting does less damage.

Planting stuff:

I think planting food is going to come into the forefront. I will post a tutorial on two ways I planted things recently. This is my yard at the moment:

A lot of nothing

There is a lot of space for improvement.

Cross stitch:

Another thing I think will be huge this season that has been popping up. Here is a unicorn I got off Instagram that I drew out. I'm still thinking of how to use it in a project. Some even cross stitch 8-bit pictures

Here's other awesome cross stitch inspired projects:

Cross Stitch Phone Case

Cross Stitch Mug Design

Cross Stitch Murial

That's my trend prediction and ways I'm getting spring ready.

è

Fairy light Project

I see plenty of plenty Fairy light projects on Pinterest. I always had an issue of how to hide the wire that gets plugged into the wall. Solar fairy lights are the answer.

Bought these at Builder's Warehouse for a mere R70.00

 

     Here is my empty window^^^

and then the finished product. No weird wires. No using electricity. Now let your Tumblr and Pinterest dreams come true.

é

That time I went to Jimnettes

I’ll be honest, I feel like an idiot walking around with my camera because I look like a tourist who doesn’t go out often. S.A.L.T.S. (Smile a little then stops) For real though. With my ‘That time I went to…’ blogs I want to tell you about places to go that you probably never knew or thought of.

This one is about an Art and craft store in Pretoria: Jimnettes

 

For their ineffective website their shop more that makes up for it. Canvas, paints (oil, water, acrylic and craft) to mosaic, glass and baking.

What to buy there:

Beginners can invest in a Visual Dairy. I prefer the A5 because its handbag sized. Scribble doodles, ideas and it’s a great way to keep your mind active if you have a short moment. It looks better than being on your phone (and saves its battery).

 

Advanced hobbyists can dive into glass craft. They also have glass rods for beads. They have all the provisions for making Tiffany lamps.

 Even if you are just passing through go check out the colours of the stained glass. It’s truly beautiful.

 

What é bought:

 

Chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips. I’ll post the recipe soon of the chocolate chip shortbread cookies that I bought them for.

Glitter because you can never have enough. These are so fine I’m going to try to glitter up my makeup and I will use them for my nails.

And the cutest little canvas.

Please make a turn there.

é