Moving right along

Since last time I wrote we have got so much done. Its been a busy month! We got our driveway ready thanks to a nice guy who works at the quarry not far from the big town here. And after much headache we got the trailer moved! Mostly it was rain that kept setting us back but we finally got it done and boy was I happy to see this sight

Thats them coming with the trailer. What a relief!

So now that its on site we have a lot of work to do but first...some pics of how we got to this point. Hang on to your seat cause this is exciting!

We had a pretty major issue of how to mow off the land...we couldnt find no one to do it so we took matters in our own hands. We figured gas is reasonably priced right now and lighters are very affordable so lets do this!

Well...as you can see it kinda got out of hand....the fire went up in one of my cedar trees and the wind blew it over to the next field across the dirt road...so we not only had one fire but two...and all we could do is stand there and watch in amazement/horror as the fire burned so quick  thru everything. We ended up calling the fire dept who happens to be just right down the street from my mom who lives about 5 miles from here...as luck would have it the fire dept holds bingo on saturdays and when mom is feeling frisky she likes to go and play and gossip with the other old women...

so there is mom sitting there playing bingo, minding her own business when the bingo caller announces he has to leave right now there is a call for a fire and he has to go help. He is of course totally excited cause they dont get no calls much down there. Mom said he was grinning and everything (sigh) So he leaves and this other lady calls bingo while the real caller is gone fighting a fire....MY fire (sigh again) I swear to god I cant hide shit from mom LOL! The good side is, mom thinks that because this *new* caller was calling is why she got to bingo once...at least there is a good side to this.

So moms bingo caller and a bunch of other guys show up in cute lil trucks to fight our fire...they were really super nice. We didnt get the attitude that we normally get from fire dept people (Me and hubs had a bad experience with them at work once, they came on a false call made by another nurse and was less than kind about it) anyhoo...as we watched them bring their trucks over the hill Noor says,"You know, we should have brought a fire extinguisher." yep...two brainiacs here trying to do something like this...yep..

a month later we get a nice bill for 500 bucks. Its OK. I doubt we could have got it mowed so nice for so cheap LOL, and all the burnt grass is like fertilizer!  I always try to see the good side of things. Nonetheless we wont be burning off a field again. I was pretty scared. And in case your wondering, there isnt a house anywhere near where this occured other than the shed our neighbor lives in..and the fire got no where near his property. Its pretty big and open out here...

So now that we got the grass problem taken care of we then was able to move the trailer, and then comes the remodeling..ugh

Purple and orange for my bedroom. The small bedroom is the same color purple tooo. I really liked it...obviously. I also scrubbed and cleaned the carpets so we could keep them. Other than the paint that Maylee got on them, they look quite nice. Maylee helped me paint of course.


As of right now we are STILL working on getting the floor put in. We need to replace all the floors but we are running out of time! We need to get out of here by the 10th, so we will replace the living room floor which is the worst and hope for the best.

We also have a horsie! He isnt ours he is the neighbors horse but he eats my grass and keeps it mowed and I appreciate it a bunch even if he does poop in front of my door LOL

Maylee is pretty scared of the horses even though she acts like she isnt...she is so cute LOL




This is what I get to wake up to every day from now on...Just look at that big sky!

I need to get my garden tilled up ASAP too. I got a bunch of heirloom seeds to plant! I am gonna have a 100% organic heirloom garden this year thanks to these fine Etsy Sellers:

The Bearfoot Shaman

Wall Flower Studio

Azure Dandelion

SmokyMist Gardens 

I have got some really fun varieties of veggies from some of these sellers. I highly recommend them all, as they have been a joy to work with. Ship fast too!

OK I gotta run we are planning on doing more remodeling today since hubs is actually off...this thing is so slow going cause he has been working so much but next week he is off! So we can get this show on the road!

Prayers and well wishes welcome for a safe move from Louisville to Rough River. Thanks guys!

New Project: Liquid Soap!

I just realized I have not posted since before thanksgiving! (gasp) I have been THAT busy and I want to take a moment to sincerely thank each and every person who has bought from my shops in the past year. I am eternally grateful for your business as it has helped me and my family thru some insanely rough times I wont bother to get into here. Just know each dollar you have spent has HELPED me tremendously and it was all VERY appreciated. Thank you all SO MUCH! ((HUGZ))

I wanted to let you guys know all the exciting things I been up to since the "busy season" is pretty much over. Sales have went down to usual numbers and now I have time to catch up on some things I been dying to do like make LIQUID SOAP!!

I had quite an adventure making liquid soap yesterday I had done my homework for sure but you never know how something like this will go till you jump in with both feet. So I jumped!

I had what was supposedly a fail proof idiot proof recipe in hand that had been tried by others with success. This made me feel at ease a little bit more.




I mixed my potassium hydroxide and oil and stick blended the daylights out of the mixure till I got something I was pretty sure was trace...then I blended more. I wasnt taking NO chances with this one!! Everything I read said if you cant get the potassium hydroxide and the oils to trace then it WILL separate on you later on down the process.

The only part of this process that I dont think I fully "got" was the fact you really do have to keep this stuff HOT! I put it in a double boiler set up and had the water just below simmering...that wasnt enough, I needed to keep the water boiling the whole time. Once I turned up the heat I got better results.

I figured out from the "test" globs I took out of the "paste" I was cooking that I needed to BOIL the water that I was testing the globs in. So I had a ton of boiling water around the house yesterday LOL

I finally got tired of cooking this "Paste" I was supposed to be making after about 7 hours of cooking so I boiled yet more water and poured it over the paste I had made. I boiled this for about 15 to 20 minutes.

I broke up all the chunks of the paste in the boiling water as best as I could. This was the hardest part was breaking up this stuff so it could dissolve and thus make my liquid soap. I went and watched a movie and when I came back all I had to do was hit the whole mixture with my stick blender and it blended just perfect. AND to make it even better for my ego, it was just a WEEE bit cloudy. I was shooting for 100% clear, but you never know when this stuff sits for a couple of days it may be as clear as commerical dish soap! I am OK with partly cloudy though, as long as it isnt milky I am happy.

I have tested this so far in laundry : works AWESOME!
Dishes: I was amazed! It took the tea stain off my tea pitcher and commercial dish soap wont touch it unless you SCRUB with a scratchy pad. All I had to do with my soap was rub!

You could put this in a foamer bottle and make foamy soap for handwashing too! So many applications for this stuff the possibilities are really limitless and I am so rejuvenated and excited to be able to KNOW I can definitely make this stuff now!

I have in the works a new product I wish to announce here today! This week I hope to be unveiling my newest invention: ~JIGGLE SOAP!~ This will be similar to Jell-o as it will be jiggly and squirmy but it will be soap you can take in the shower with you. This will be 100% chemical free unless there is a fragrance oil to scent it but those are always pthalate free at least. This will also be 100% vegan! I will be making an experimental batch this week. I know it wont be till at least wednesday cause I have no car to get supplies till then...UGH!! but be on the lookout! I will most likely announce it here when I get this made. I am super duper excited!!!

I will also be coming up with an original recipe for shampoo. I am still researching oils and deciding what I would like to see a shampoo do, so that will be coming up in a couple more weeks as I get time. its definitely a top priority of mine to release a completely natural shampoo that works great!

I am so excited about all this, cant you tell! (jumps up and down and claps hands)

And, I am rapidly approaching 1,000 sales in Maylee's Garden on Etsy ! As of right now I have 982 sales. A lot of sales came in the past 2 months, I remember recently having my 777th sale and being all excited about it...and here I am staring at the big 1,000! I feel SO successful right now, and to make it special, I am gonna do SOMETHING nice for the person who buys that 1,000th product. I dont know what yet, maybe free shipping, free goodies...not sure. But I promise SOMETHING nice will happen to the 1,000th customer!


Again thank you ALL for your continued support of my little business. I truly enjoy cranking out all natural goodness for you all so we can all be healthier. I am so proud of what I have accomplished, and I could not have done it without each and every one of you who have supported me along the way.


THANK YOU!!!!

Random cute kid pictures

Maylee was eating ice cream the other day and it was pretty warm outside, so it melted fairly quick. She made such a mess of herself I couldnt help but laugh. I had to run inside and get my camera to take these pictures, and I just wanted to share with all of you cause its just so darn cute!




Here is the end of her ice cream extravaganza. She hands me the cup first cause she is done with it, then she hands me the ice cream...it was pretty fun trying to keep her from touching stuff with the ice cream hand until we could get her cleaned up. This was one mess I just threw in the tub with some warm water and soap! It would take too many towels for this one LOL There was ice cream EVERYWHERE!








And here is Maylee on a cleaner day. She really wanted me to take a picture of her Kitty. She loves Kitty and she kisses him every morning and hugs him. She sleeps with him, takes him with her when we go places, and rocks him to sleep at night. He is her best friend right now. Arent they cute together?







This is Maylee REALLY wanting you to notice the Brobee on her shirt. She asked me to take this picture after her big brother Justin was done taking pictures of me in a new dress I made. She wanted some attention too!




















Here is Tyler still trying to conquer the gas station chicken....someday my son, someday!

Our day at Wilmoth Farms

My good friend and soapmaking buddy Rachel invites us over yesterday for a fun filled evening of horse riding and smores making by a bonfire. I was excited to actually take a day off and do something FUN! but first we had to go see my mommy....the trip was exciting as usual.

First Tyler took Maylee for rides on his new lawn tractor. He paid for over half of it with his own money he has made from his new venture mowing grass. Go Tyler! we paid for the rest cause we need it too...I guess it was a 50/50 thing but he will use it the most I am sure as he is our designated lawn cutter now LOL. I am so proud of Tyler. His lil business is growing by leaps and bounds as he has the market cornered in our neighborhood. He is the only one offering this service...he has his first monopoly! How sweet! LOL


We stopped at the usual gas station to get gas cause its cheaper there than anywhere else we know of, and Maylee had to ride the chicken...again

**By the way her top was bought from SweetCandiedYams on Artfire. I purchased this when I won that Artfire Facebook Contest in August YAY! I LOVE this top its just perfect and TOP quality too!

Her shoes are made by Kaboogie. She makes the best shoes in the universe, just ask Maylee she will tell ya!


It was all cute till Tyler wanted in on the action too...The next series of photo's is the process of him trying to mount the chicken and the horror that ensued....








In the end Chicken bites Tyler's hand and steals his lawnmower keys to wear around his neck. Chicken arises victorious!




So we head on down toward moms house and when we get there the house smells like Pizza...Mmmm...and my brother got some baby ice creams for Maylee. They was so cute in her hand! Just her size. Maylee loves ice cream!





Mommy puts Noor to work cleaning out gutters and Tyler mows grass while I try to keep on top of Maylee who turns super wild at moms house for some reason...weird.

I gave mommy her ring I mentioned in my last post about sucking up to mommy I think mommy is quite thrilled with it...mom wont say how much she likes something but she looked at it for an awfully long time after she put it on her hand...SCORE one for me! YEAH ED take that Biotch! (Ed's my brother....)

Anyhoo we get done at mom's house (we have to go back Tuesday for more!) and we head out to Rachel's farm....I was amazed at the beauty of this place. I automatically knew I was not gonna want to leave here EVER! And I wish I could go pitch a tent or set up shop in one of her bedrooms or something. I am quiet, she will never know I am there...until her chocolate starts disappearing for no reason...then she may know something is up hehehehe

This is my oldest son Justin on Rachel's very kind horsey named Chicory. Justin hopped up on the horse like he knew what to do! He did good! Now it was Tyler's turn....


Tyler got on the horse better than he got on the chicken and the horse didn't bite him and steal his lawn mower keys LOL!

I even got on the horse myself. Cant believe I made the legs work well enough to do it but I did it!










We had a nice little fire out back after it got dark, We had hot dogs and macaroni salad...then we had campfire smores by the fire. I didn't get pictures cause I was too busy eating...

Our good friend Mari showed up too! I love Mari she is a sweetheart just like Rachel and I always enjoy her company a lot. We had so much fun yesterday I cannot wait to do it again! I loved riding that horse, and he walks so nice and easy he don't bump you around or anything. It was a smoother ride to ride him than riding in my hippie van to get to Rachel's house! LOL

I would really like to get a horse for us when we get moved to our land. Riding the horsey was the most natural thing I have ever done besides giving birth in the comfort Of my home...it felt like it was something I was supposed to be doing...if that makes sense.

Thanks Rachel for having us! You guys were so kind and so thoughtful of Noor's religious eating issues and stuff. Your awesome! Many blessings to you guys for being so loving to us!

Heartland Music Festival 2009 in Elizabethtown Kentucky

I was hanging out on my Facebook Friday night minding my own business when my buddy Gary Fights announces there is a show he is doing on Saturday. I have been dying to see his band Junell street live so I ask the usual questions...WHERE?? Well the Heartland Festival in Elizabethtown of course! Gary and his band are part of the Heartland Songwriters Association.



We got there right for Junell Street's last song. I really wanted to see the whole set but it just didnt happen. The next band to come on was Izzy and the Creepers. I was hooked from the first song! They are a psychobilly band and I havent heard much psychobilly but I know I sure do like it. These guys rock! I wish I could have got a picture...I wish I could have MET THEM!

I got caught up in taking pictures of Maylee and Tyler...and then I went down to the craft fair part of the festival...that was not a good thing to do when I am broke!

But then, I ran into someone I know from other shows I have done. Liz, who has a charity in honor of her son Joshua,
Joshua's Friends. As a parent of a disabled child myself, I totally love what Liz is doing. I have tasted her fudge that she sells in her Etsy shop, and I can attest it is GOOOOD! I love Liz, she is a sweet sweet woman, and I wish her charity the very best. I love her idea of building a house for the families of disabled children to come and just relax is an awesome idea. In my opinion if you have a high needs child, your so tired at the end of the day you dont have the energy to relax, but if you took a little "vacation" to this cool new house they are raising money for, the entire family could have fun and everyones needs would be met, even the mama's. Love ya Liz, and I love what your doing!

I seen the most amazing crafts, and I wish that the artists I talked to had some websites I would totally post them here, but a lot of these artisans seem to focus more on the art rather than promoting themselves, we all need promoters! Then we can take time to do what we do best, make art!


After I tortured myself with beautiful things I could never purchase and enjoyed a great and uplifting conversation with Liz, we went to see the U.S. Army flex its muscle for the festival goers. Tyler and Maylee had plans...BIG plans!










We found a hummer. It was pretty cool to look at but Tyler and Maylee had a plan...Maylee flashed the army guys to stun them while Tyler made his way into the Hummer to hot wire it and steal it!








As Tyler drives off screaming,"You'll never take me alive!" He points his finger gun at the crowd...they quickly back down...as they should. You dont mess with the finger gun!











Eventually Tyler gets tired of pointing his finger gun at people and driving thru roadblocks...so he comes back to the festival, and plans his next conquest...tha TANK!








ROFLMAO! You know I cant take a series of pictures of the kids without making up some kind of silly story to go with them! LOL

We had fun at the festival, and I think I may try to vend my soap in next years! We will see! The booth fee is reasonable enough for the amount of people coming thru, and I could see that some people were selling. The candlemakers booth looked pretty slim, and the lady making the cute tutu's and bows for little girls looked like she was running low too. I hope everyone done well yesterday, I know I seen a ton of beautiful things and if I had 1,000 bucks I would have spent it within 15 minutes of being there! LOL

Help Me Feel Better Cause I Am Turning 35 Sale

I am turning 35! AHHHHHH!!!!

I thought I felt bad when I turned 30 but this has got me!





The ONLY thing in the universe that could make me feel better about this is....SHOPPING!!






In order to shop, one needs money. So I am having a sale in my Artfire shop YAY!!!! All profits will be used to make *ME* feel better about turning 35 tomorrow. ALL items are marked 21% off cause I remember that week fondly.....Price already marked down no need to wait for a refund or any of that crap like on Etsy, oh gosh there I go on Etsy again...anyhoo! Sale ends when my birthday ends. Midnight August 21st. Have fun and thanks in advance to all the compassionate shoppers !

MoMosBows New blog contest

I love contests, I am hooked on them since I won the Artfire Facebook Contest LOL

MomosBows, whom I adore, is having the awesomest contest!

She is giving away a free one year subscription to her bow of the month club where you can get a free bow every month and two in your daughters birth month! WOW!

Its easy to enter, so go for it you may just beat me and win...good luck...you will need it, sucka!

Pictures of our land in Breckinridge County Ky

I took some really awesome pictures of our land yesterday when we went to make a futile attempt to mow it. We will be moving sometime within the next 6 months without a doubt. Most likely in the next 2 months, thats our goal to get down there before the weather turns bad on us




















Here above you can see the dirt road going to our 5 acre lot. There is NOTHING back here except a lake, trees, good ol Kentucky Hills, and us. I can only imagine how AWESOME it will be to watch the stars at night. Every meteor shower will be like the best show ever with that great big sky!








This "path" is Noor's futile attempt at mowing. yes he used a push mower, no I dont think he is crazy per se`

You have to hand it to the guy he is brave to even attempt this. Me and him are about the same height at 5 ft 3/5ft 4 and some of these weeds were taller than us, most of them were our size. They are super thick weeds too, this isnt your front lawn kinda weeds, this is MAJOR weedage! You can see a teeny tiny speck of gray in the background...thats where either an old house or old barn was. I am HOPING there is a well here someplace! There is another home/barn site on our land too. There has to be water here somewhere! We will find it when we get thru the weedage.

And while I was waiting on Noor to either have a heatstroke or give up, me and Maylee took these awesome pictures. I think I may frame these cause that balloon is just amazing! I love that big "pop" of color in this natural setting.



Soon Maylee will be riding more than chickens with her cheese curls! I hope to get some Llamas, or sheep and get into dying fiber for spinners. I love dying wool, and I love playing with fiber in general. Maybe that will be a new direction I take after we move. I know we will have chickens...Maylee LOVES chickens!

My goal is to be totally 100% self sufficient within 3 years. I dont want to need money for anything. I want to grow all our food, get off the grid, and use the farm and my businesses to generate any money we may need or want.

I figure to do this we have to start small and start by not going in debt to do this. We will be purchasing a cheap mobile home (as soon as we can locate a somewhat livable one) and then going from there. Most likely we will add on to the mobile home, or just live there till we can get a cobb house or some other sustainable cheap housing built. I am leaning toward cobb cause its so inexpensive to build and you can get so creative with it. I love the idea of a round mushroom looking house. So cute!

So thats whats up in my personal life lately. We purchased this land last fall if you remember...my long time readers (wink) And I had dreams then of building a cobb house. I havent lost sight of that, or my dream of self sufficiency. We can do this. if my Father and my Grandfather could do it I can too!