Easiest Candle Making Technique Ever!

I love, love, love making candles!  It's one of the funnest and easiest crafts that I know of.  I mean, how can you go wrong?  Just melt a bit of candle wax, position your wick, add whatever colors or scents you like (crayons and essential oils or even perfume will work just fine), pour the whole thing together, and wait 'til it's firm.  I've been making my own candles since the 1990s and just love the entire process.  It makes me feel so creative and clever to use up my leftover waxes this way!  I also get the added satisfaction of knowing that my candle is unique; no one has quite the same color or scent that I do!

That said, pouring candles can be a real pain in the ass if you don't get it right.  The wax can form ugly lumps and bumps, you can find bubbles inside that compromise the burning smoothness, and sometimes the best-laid shapes will go awry.  And long, skinny candles -- well, forget pouring those!  Dipping takes too long (though admittedly, I have not tried it very thoroughly: maybe I'll do it sometime).

If you're a first-timer or you're in the market for an easy candle project, you can buy yourself some rolls of beeswax at your local craft store.  They also come in candle-making kits that couldn't be simpler.  Place your wick on one side of the wax sheet, roll it up, and Bob's your uncle.  It's lovely and takes only a few minutes.

In the same spirit as the roll-your-own-beeswax candle, I have created a terribly easy candle recipe that would make any star of the most recent episode of "Hoarders" stand and applaud vigorously. ;)

INGREDIENTS:
* Something for a wick (natural fiber string, rope, kitchen string, or buy yourself some commercial wick from the craft store.)
* One bag of your favorite wax-covered Laughing Cow cheese. (Bonbel and Babybel Light use red wax, and their Cheddar variety is coated in yellow wax.)

These candles are romantic and decadent,
not at all cheesy! Available in classic Babybel, or Cheddar.

Step 1.  Eat the cheese as you normally would, storing up all of the awesome wax!  Resist the urge to play with the wax... it's hard, but you need to restrain yourself.  Pick the wax apart so that it's in half-circles or anything flat.

Step 2.  [If you're very anal about germs: wash the wax in cold, slightly soapy water. Soak for a bit, rinse, then allow to air dry undisturbed over the course of a few days.  If you don't care about getting cheese particles in your candle -- and trust me, it's not all that much anyway -- read on...]

Step 3.  Cut your wax into strips and wind it around your wick.  After you've made a nice long, tall strip, wind more wax strips around your first coat.  (It is this step where you can rub a bit of scented oil over your wax strips if you like -- I did roses on mine, and now they smell like roses dipped in cheese.)

Step 4.  Repeat until all of your wax is gone, or your candle is sized and shaped the way you want it.

Step 5.  Put in a candleholder (or a glass filled with pretty stones, as shown) and light, enjoying the dark romantic ambience of your super-easy craft!

On My Mind: Spiritual Bath

I just came across this charming post at the simple-living blog "Down To Earth" which encouraged its readers to share a photograph and to explain a bit about it.

The one that I chose was this picture, which I'd recently taken and had been meaning to add to my blog for some time now.  This past year, I had recently discovered how wonderful it was to take a long, luxurious soak in the tub.  One of the awesomest things about taking a big ole' bath is that anyone can do it.  Doesn't matter if you're old, young, rich, or poor -- if you have access to a tub and some water, you can make it an amazingly sensual experience no matter what other accoutrements you choose to add.

There's a joke that goes something like, "You know you're ghetto when you break out your best dish detergent when it's time to take a bubble bath," but really, who cares?  It makes no difference if you bathe with a 3-for-99-cents bar of soap from the dollar tree or a pot of $140 Russian Amber shampoo by Philip B., you can make your tub time truly luxurious with only a few little additions.

I like to add a few candles on the edge of my tub; they need not be expensive (and if you can make your own candles out of leftovers and an old spaghetti jar, so much the better!) but they certainly can lend an air of tranquil pleasure to your bath.  You can even find an artificial candlelight generator app on your Android phone (if you're so blessed), which I've done more than once.  The one I have (which I downloaded for free) even gives you customizable flame colors -- purple flame, anyone?

And bubbles are nice, but not always necessary -- by the way, I recall a few times where my own mother broke out the Ivory or the Palmolive dish liquid when, as a child, I craved bubbles in my bath.  If it's not going to harm your skin, who really cares?  No shame in being creative.  These days, I save my pennies for the luxury of something special from the Lush store when I can get it (and use it carefully).  But even bubbles from your dollar store or local pharmacy will do the trick wonderfully.

Some folks choose to do their entire beauty regimens in the bath -- shaving legs, deep conditioning hair, even wearing a facial masque while splashing away in the tub.  And some people bring a cocktail (or in my case, a nice cold can of soda) into the tub, sipping their cares away.  Or, you can just relax and allow your tension to melt away, enjoying the sights, sounds, and scents of your spiritual bathing experience.  The bottom line is that your bathtime rituals can be fully customizable and specifically tailored to your needs and wants.

So grab your rubber ducky, and your favorite towel, and enjoy!

Swiffer Stuffs

As most people who know me are well aware, I love to make things.  Cooking is one of my true passions for this very reason: It's quick, most endeavors are relatively inexpensive, and the end result can be used in practical, smart ways that don't end up in a lot of clutter.  You eat it, you poop it out, and Bob's your uncle -- creativity recycled!  

I don't like projects that take forever, or that clutter up the house.  As a serious fan of the Swiffer from when it first came out (and yes, I still have the 1999 Swiffer, which is more sturdy than my 2006 version), I've always considered the replacement covers something of a luxury... if I am dusting, I'm not above twisting them over so that the dust-free side can get its share of use as well. ;)  I've also used things like socks and washcloths for covers when wiping floors that need a bit of wet attention -- and for the most part, these have been successful undertakings.

But I've also wanted to try making a cover that was specifically designed JUST for the Swiffer.  And even though I'm capable of knitting only a simple garter stitch, knitting reusable Swiffer covers out of yarn is just about the easiest thing anyone can do.  Here's how! :)

1.  Choose your medium.  You can see from this picture that I used two different kinds of standard acryllic yarn -- the pretty lavender kind was the last of a soft skein of nicer stuff from JoAnn fabrics, and the burgundy was from a 99-cent store in NYC.  Just use whatever you have; after all, it's not a beauty contest if it's just going to be scrubbing the scum around your toilet.

2.  Knit!  Cast on about 33 rows.  (I used this number because it was my age when these pictures were taken... yeah, these sat around awhile!)  Knit a plain ol' garter stitch until you have a rectangle that pretty much covers your Swiffer.  Your mileage may vary, depending on how tightly you make your stitches and on what size needle you like (I used a size 10), but mine are generally somewhere within the neighborhood of 50 and 70 rows.  It is OK if you knit it to be just a tiny bit too small... keeps the cover on even better, in fact.

3.  Take your rectangle, and fold it into thirds.  The Swiffer will fit into the opening between the thirds.

 4.  Stitch the sides together.  Use anything you want -- more yarn, thread, whatever.  (I used a hideous baby-weight rainbow yarn that I have noooooo idea what other uses I can find for it!)  You could probably even glue or staple them, but that seems like a hell of a lot of trouble, and would likely require many goings-over.

5.  Put the business end of your Swiffer into the horizontal opening.  You can punch the cover down into those annoying little tabs if you want, but honestly I never do, and my Swiffer covers never go anywhere.

6.  If you're dusting, flip it over!  If you're washing something hard-core, flip it over! (Unless the dirty item in question is way too nasty to handle.)

7.  Mine are machine-washable (depends on the yarn you use) and durable.  See the lavender ones in this picture?  They were made about 2 years ago, and are just beginning to get old.

You can also use these without the Swiffer, but it's not quite as much fun.

Do I Live Here?

So, the time has come for myself and a certain cute boy to start thinking about buying a home.  It's not always easy for a plucky young couple just starting out to find the home of their dreams, but hey, I'm optimistic and willing to roll up my sleeves! ;)

I've been doing the research for a little while.  Between myself and the boy, there isn't a ton of money saved (yet) for our down payment, but we're working on that. :)  A couple of months ago, my man went to check some houses on the market (while I was busy socializing at a paaaartaaay, haha)... but all they really yielded were a few examples of what we definitively don't want.

And then, earlier this month, it happened.  We coordinated our schedules, and were able to come up with an afternoon where we could hang out and view a few homes, one after the other.  One of them was cute and cheap, with lots of renovation ahead (and a room that he was too afraid to even walk in, much less purchase!)... though, to be fair, it *did* have a windowless basement bedroom, and a rubber-floored rumpus room downstairs... yes indeed, plenty of dungeon space. ;)

The one that really stood out to me was a stunning contemporary, high on a hill, in a private and slightly wooded section of a town that I've always loved.  It has plenty of room for me to conduct all manners of business that I do (including lotsa inventory storage!), a great office space for him, and best of all, a large finished basement that'll do just perfect for our little love nest.  The backyard doesn't QUITE have "room for a pony," I'm sorry to say, but it does provide privacy and quite a few crucial shaded areas.

We are in talks with the realtor now, but only tentatively.  After so much time of apartment living, I simply cannot wait to unroll it and see!  With a bit of luck (and perhaps a lot more saving like demons), you may just be able to consider me a homeowner someday. ;)

For the Love of LUSH

Some of my favorite "guilty pleasures" in the world can be bought at the LUSH store. The way I see it, that's not such a bad thing -- LUSH won't make me drunk-dial an ex, give me lung cancer, or raise my cholesterol. That said, it can be somewhat pricey if I need a good fix. Ergo, I have compiled a list of helpful hints and tips to enable you to get the most out of your LUSH stash.

The best advice I can give to anyone who's into LUSH (or thinking of taking the plunge into addiction territory), is to buy what you truly love, but be sure to concentrate on the products that you're actually going to use. Even if you're able to make a killing on a 2-for-1 special at your local LUSH dealer, letting your stuff sit around unused is a sin and a serious waste. Certain items are one-use-only, which are fine for occasional splurging, but to get the most bang for your buck, concentrate the bulk of your LUSH funds on items which will last awhile. Here are my favorites, along with a few tips on how to make your stuff last...

1. SOAPS. While I'm not a bar-soap kinda gal, I have to admit that this is a seriously smart way to get the most for your money. A slice of LUSH soap can be had for anywhere from $6 to $10. While this does seem pricey when you compare it to your typical 3-pack at the 99-cent store, a bar of richly scented LUSH soap can be a real luxury during a quick shower, or even soaking in the bath. One of my personal favorites is the goth-tastic "Demon in the Dark," a minty apple-clove scent that lingers for hours on your skin. Another awesome pick is "Ring of Roses" which is referred to as a buttercream-style soap for its delicate consistency; this is another luscious scent that lasts on your body for quite awhile after your final rinse. For those of you who are looking for something a bit more perky, you may enjoy "Rock Star," described on the LUSH website as a "creamy vanilla sweetie" and comes in a bubblegum pink shade. (I have never used "Karma" soap, but it sounds like it may be one of those long-lasting scents as well. Anyone?) To make your soap last longer, store it in an airtight container away from the shower's disintegrating spray, and only bring it out while you're using it. I also find that using a bath puff or washcloth can help extend the life of your soap. For a bathtime treat, add a bit of water to your container in order to keep your soap nice and soft; dissolve the mushy bits into your bathwater, and enjoy the scent. Or, just use the soap blobs on your puff this way; since only a pea-sized amount will be needed to get you nice and clean, you'll have plenty of showers and baths to enjoy.

2. MASSAGE BARS. A LUSH massage bar is a true luxury item. Smoothing one of these on my skin at night makes me feel as if I'm really pampering myself -- the girly nightly beauty ritual, the lovely scents of each bar, and reaping the benefit of all that soft smooth skin -- it's a wonderful experience. My favorite bar, hands down is the "Tuca Tuca" violet massage bar; at $7.95, it's a real bargain as mine have lasted for weeks and weeks of somewhat regular use. (LUSH also makes a "Tuca Tuca" perfume spray, so this is a great way to try out the scent before buying a bottle of perfume that you may or may not enjoy!) Most of these bars cost a dollar or two more than that, but all are well worth the price due to the effectiveness and the long-lasting joy that they'll bring you. Another great one to try is "Wiccy Magic" -- it's pretty big, fits right inside the LUSH tin with no room to spare! -- and the spicy smell lingers all over my sheets for days after I put it on at night. LUSH massage bars are so lovely and effective that I don't use them every single night, but I do fairly often. They last a nice long time, and so do the great scents and the benefits. It makes them well worth their cost.

3. LIQUID SHAMPOOS/SHOWER GELS. This is what I'd call an absolute "must have" in my LUSH stash. The gels are great for washing your hair, washing your bod, even a quick squirt to hand-wash your delicates in the sink (if you care to "waste" it on your clothes -- though I don't consider it a waste when I can smell the LUSHy goodness all day on my clothes!). You can buy the smaller 8-ounce bottles just to get a feel for something (usually they're around $18), or go wild and get an all-out huge16-ounce bottle of your favorite scent. At nearly $30 for most of the bigger bottles, you might go "Aw hell no!" but trust me -- that big bottle will last you a long-ass time. The beauty of LUSH shower gel is that a little bit goes a very, very long way. The strongest one I've used yet is called "Glogg" and was, regrettably, only available during the winter holiday; I got a tiny bottle in a Christmas gift basket and absolutely adored it. If it's around next year, I fully intend to see about getting a big ol' bottle of it again -- the scent was a heady cinnamon that just HUNG in the bathroom for hours after my shower, and it left my hair smelling good enough to eat all day long. I used it on Wednesdays only, and it actually lasted me a few months! Right now I alternate between "13 Rabbits" which is a chocolatey-ginger scent (not that long-lasting, but does smell strangely good, lathers beautifully, and rinses cleanly) and my trusty old "Flying Fox" honey-jasmine, which I'm just starting to run out of after being positively lavish with it in my baths and showers. "Dirty" is nice too, even if it's technically for guys; it has a lovely clean, minty, herby smell that you can carry with you or even layer if you have the perfume -- I got a sampler box for $20 which contained a shitload of great products to try. One fair warning: LUSH shower gels seem to be a bit harsh on my hair color. Nevertheless, I love the luxurious feeling they give me!

And now... things to avoid... the answer is: nothing! It's great to try things. If you shop at the store, you can even see what kinds of samples you can get. The staff often has little trial-sized sample pots for sale for a couple of dollars, and this is a wonderful way to explore without feeling hosed. I would avoid going out of my way to buy things like bath bombs or bubble bars, since many of them can only be used once or twice (though the jumbo bubble bars are good for several uses). Also, the toner tabs are fine to try, but not terribly cost-effective at around $2 for a one-use product. That said, they can be wonderfully refreshing and nice if you're in the mood for a treat. The water of the tea-tree toner tab can be saved for a little while in the fridge and used as a spray too, so this double-duty product is worth consideration. If you really want to give yourself a little something nice, check out (or ask someone for) a LUSH gift basket packed with lots of special little things so that you can revel in an array of products at your leisure.

Enjoy! :)

Pooping Rainbows

I've had some pictures for over a year, and decided to FINALLY post them onto PGS.  The inspiration for this project came from... well, I have no idea, actually.  But I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to cut into a cake and have it be all rainbowy and stuff?"   And no, these ones aren't mine... these NEXT ones, with the cake all cracked and messed up... yeah, those are mine! ;)

Even though I came up with the idea on my own, it wasn't totally original. Turns out that others have also thought of baking a rainbow into a cake... and many pictures of rainbow cakes have been popping up all over online! I had originally planned to make my own cake from scratch, but after I baked it I thought, what the hell -- I'll use a mix next time. A bit of research has yielded the now (somewhat) famous rainbow cake thread over at Something Awful, as well as the how-to step-by-step guide over at Omnomicon. Apparently, all you really need to do is add a 12-ounce can of clear soda to a box of cake mix, bake according to instructions, and you're done! I did my cake the old-school way with eggs and oil, 'cause that's just how I roll. But next time, I'll give the soda trick a try. Someone also commented about using club soda and/or seltzer, which would be nice if you don't want your cake to taste like Sprite and/or 7up.  

Rainbow cake is renowned for its 
lash-growing & teeth-whitening abilities. 
 If you don't believe me, just ask this 
cake-tasting supermodel! :)

My cake didn't turn out so well (hence the "fail" label), but that's because my springform pans suck; I have to buy YET ANOTHER SET someday, so we'll see how that goes in due time. :)  The entire surface got a series of big ol' splits across the top, which I filled in with a shitload of chocolate icing.  I didn't get a picture of the finished product, or of the cake after it had been cut; the person to whom I'd gifted the cake failed to honor my requests for more images of it once it had been cut. So it was a big fail all around; maybe next time it'll work out better.  I have a few friends' birthdays coming up, so we'll see how that goes.

You show that rainbow cake who's
boss, Guy With Beard And Pretty Eyes!

I'm going to try the simpler method next time and let you know how it goes.  The other thought I had was, wouldn't this be a cool idea for holidays -- the 4th of July (red, white, & blue cake) and Halloween (orange, green, purple?) come to mind as fantastic ideas for this cake project.


I know that there are a lot of pictures in this particular entry, but I just had to show them to illustrate how totally cool this project is.  If you have never baked a rainbow cake, give it a try.  It's a fun surprise when you cut into the cake, and all of those colors are inside.  Very festive indeed!  Pics of the more successful rainbow cakes are courtesy of  Rev Dan Catt, Better Than Bacon, & Justgrimes.  Thanks everyone, for sharing your masterpieces! :)

Lazy Woman Casserole

I probably shouldn't call it "Lazy Woman" Casserole, but what the heck?  I've made it on days when I've been super-busy, AND on days when I've been just feeling kinda lazy and not terribly keen on making a gourmet masterpiece.  I have degenerative disc disease, so sometimes all I can really manage is standing for about 5 minutes before my pesky ole' L4/L5 region gets the best of me.

When I look at the pictures of this thing, I have to tell you that it doesn't look all that appetizing.  And as one Amazon user put it, "Sometines you just want one of the original 'fast foods' that your mother/grandmother heated up," this isn't necessarily something healthy enough to make all the time.  That said -- it's quick, it's easy, and most of the non-staple ingredients can be stored in the freezer or pantry forever until you're finally ready to put it together.  (Well, frozen veggies are a staple in MY house, anyway!)  The veggies give it the illusion of a balanced meal, but you can always add more to the batch, and serve with a salad, if you want to give it an even healthier kick.


LAZY WOMAN CASSEROLE:

Ingredients:
2 4.9-oz boxes of Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes (or generic equivalent)
4 cups of hot and/or boiling water
1 cup of milk
1 bag of frozen veg (I like "California Mix" which is a blend of broccoli/carrots/cauli; but use your fave!)
1 8-oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese.
between 2-4 tablespoons of butter or margarine (package calls for it, but totally optional!)

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 and spray your casserole dish with cooking spray.  Some people like to defrost their veg in the microwave around this time (like me -- I enjoy my broccoli in the softest capacity possible) but if you want a bit more "bite" to those vegetables, don't bother.  The broccoli WILL get super-duper soft if it is thawed first, and this isn't a texture that everyone on Earth enjoys!

2.  Dump the hot water into the casserole dish along with the potato packets & special sauce packets that come with the potato mixes.  Stir 'em up, then add your milk and veggies.

3.  At this point, if you wish to incorporate a handful or two of cheese directly into the potatoes, feel free to do so.  Otherwise, just dot the top with your butter/margarine if you're using it -- I cut mine into little bits and stick 'em around the edges to keep things adequately lubed during cook time.  (If not, I would recommend spraying the top with a tiny bit of cooking spray just in case.)  Then pop this sucker into the oven *uncovered* and let it cook for about 30-40 minutes.

4.  After this time has elapsed, open your oven and dump (remaining?) cheese over the whole thing.  You can sprinkle a little paprika onto the casserole as well, if you want to fool people with a majorly sexy "oven-browned" texture.  Mua, ha, haaah!  Leave it in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to let the cheese melt.

5.  When the timer sounds, take these out of the oven and let them sit for at least 15-20 minutes.  Trust me, this is HOT and will burn the heck out of your mouth and throat if you dig right in!  If you can wait even a bit longer, that'd be even better.

 6.  Refrigerate any unused portions, and believe me, this makes quite a bit, so there will definitely be lots of yummy leftovers.  These are even better the next day!

March Decluttering Report

March was a rough month for me, with all of the medical and health-related shit that I needed to take care of... however, I did very well this March!!  We continued filling boxes for donation, and selling those extra books and things on Half.Com.  Overall, I'm very pleased with the progress that has been made here. :)  I fully intend to keep the donations going. :)  It feels awesome to be able to clean my closets while I'm helping other people at the same time.  Next stop -- getting those pesky closets investigated, and unloading all of the junk therein... today the closets, tomorrow the basement.  Well, maybe.  I'll see how well things go over the next couple of weeks. :)

Here is a lovely picture of my beautiful rat, Delicious.  She's a real looker, isn't she?  The crazy ones usually are, with only a few exceptions (i.e. skeezy ex-boyfriends).  Anyway, I adore her, and I know she loves (the yummy taste of) me.  She's a biter, all right!  But because I am trying so hard to change my ways, this sweet li'l bub is the only pack-rat that's allowed in my crib. ;)

MARCH's PROGRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boxes donated: 3 (1 large, 2 smallish)

cause(s) helped: Big Brothers & Sisters

type of donation(s):  clothing, kitchen wares, books & videos, health & beauty

Items sold: 5 via Half.com

sold items: DVDs (1),  CDs (2), books (2)

profit*:  $28.96

NEXT PICKUP DATE:  April 20th 

YTD PROGRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boxes donated: 6 (2 large, 2 medium, 3 smallish)

causes helped: Big Brothers & Sisters of America

type of donation(s): clothes, kitchen wares, toys, books, health & beauty items, videos

Items sold: 16 via Half.com

sold items: DVDs (4), video games (1), CDs (3), books (8)

profit*:  $81.07

*Technically, this isn't "profit" since I probably paid more for the items in question -- but since I am relinquishing unwanted items, I count it as a profit. 

February Decluttering Report

Well, unfortunately, February wasn't quite as awesome as January was.  However, I was able to keep up my momentum on ridding myself of the books, at least!

FEBRUARY'S PROGRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boxes donated: 0

cause(s) helped: (didn't donate this month)

type of donation(s):  (didn't donate this month)

Items sold: 8 via Half.com

sold items: DVDs (3), video games (1), CDs (1), books (3)

profit*:  $36.96

NEXT PICKUP DATE:  TBA (sometime this month!)

YTD PROGRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boxes donated: 4 (1 large, 2 medium, 1 smallish)

causes helped: Big Brothers & Sisters of America

type of donation(s): clothes, kitchen wares, toys, books, health & beauty items

Items sold: 11 via Half.com

sold items: DVDs (3), video games (1), CDs (1), books (6)

profit*:  $52.11

*Technically, this isn't "profit" since I probably paid more for the items in question -- but since I am relinquishing unwanted items, I count it as a profit.