gratitude challenge - day 11

It's here! It's HERE!!!!! Finally, our online shopping is open! Check it out at:

http://fromthecountryfarm.com/shop/

It will have new products added when they are ready but for now you can get our soap shipped directly to you or a loved one!

This is what I'm thankful for tonight because a HUGE pressure has been lifted from my shoulders and I am thankful. I am also thankful for the wonderful news a friend shared with me today and I could not be more happy for her.

Ever thought about moving to the country? or a farm? or....

homesteading or things of that nature? Ever thought, "Someday I'll do that, but...." Well, until someday happens for you here's something to tide you over.

It's our "A Year on the Farm" goat milk soap gift set! It's a project I've been working on for a while and was finally able tonight to get it finished for your viewing pleasure. It's a collection of scents that correlate to things that are happening in the farm during that month. The soap dish in the center is designed exclusively and hand crafted for our soap by a local potter, using Maine Marine clay! It holds the bar of oatmeal soap, because a good breakfast for a hard days work is oatmeal! :-) The handcrafted box is made with pine grown in Maine and harvested from my childhood home, which I happen to think is a pretty special place! There are a limited number of these available, so get yours today! We'll be starting to ship these soon!

Big Kick-Off Weekend!

That's a lot of soap, and for a reason! The kids and I will be vending at the Fiber Frolic for the first year this weekend and then my Mom and Faith will be holding down the fort or actually booth at a brand new farmers market that I'll regularly be at all summer. Very excited to see how things go! Unfortunately it's supposed to rain all weekend, I know we'll be under cover, outside in barns and Mom will have a large tent canopy for Sunday but if y'all wouldn't mind saying a prayer for us and for nice weather that would be much appreciated. I was steadily prepping things for this weekend and sent to kids to get the mail and lo and behold there was another invitation to vend at a local event in August! Goodness we are blessed! Details coming soon!

something new

I tried my hand at making glycerin soap, I think they turned out kinda neat! All of these bars need new homes, do you have room for some? ;-)

In celebration of summer!

In celebration of summer between now and July 4th I'm offering a buy three get one free sale on soap while supplies last and limited to stock on hand. Contact me at fromthecountryfarm@gmail.com for more information!

my first attempt at liquid soap

After sequestering, it should clear up, but even if it doesn't I don't care, this stuff is awesome!

help needed please

If you were to walk into the soap section of any store and pick up a bar of soap that was called 'Country Girl' what would it smell like?

something new!

These are what I call my flip side bar, this one is orange on one side and poppy seed on the other. New for the Soap of the Month Club members first, then available to everybody else in April. What do you think?
Also a new soap mold! This is the first batch of soap in them and I'm super happy with it so far. Nice even square bars, all the same weight, size and shape! No more wonky hand cut bars if this works out. Yea! The house smells really nice right now, I just made Spring Rain soap for the club in April, I'm anxious to see how they turn out. Like I've said before, it's better when you have the right tool. Stay tuned!

and the winners are......

Thank you to all my followers! Welcome to all the new followers! I made it! I've got the minimum requirement met now to polish my writing! Yeah right, I am who I am take it or leave it! And now for the best part! The winners, in case you were wondering, I took all the commenters names and placed them in a bowl and had my son draw them out. Real technical huh? Now on to the winners! Duh da da da daaaaaa.......

Congratulations to: doglady, Sandy and thatlittlehouse!! Please email me at fromthecountryfarm@gmail.com with you address and it'll be sent out shortly.

Soap of the Month Club - enrollment now open!

I've finally got the details worked out for the soap of the month club, so if you're interested please email me at:

fromthecountryfarm@gmail.com

Space is limited!

Soap of the Month Club - coming soon!

Stay tuned as we here at From the Country Farm will be starting a soap of the Month Club in January 2011. I am very excited about the positive response to this, details coming soon!

* If you know you are already interested in this contact me at fromthecountryfarm@gmail.com or leave me a comment here and I'll put you on the list!

a wonderful circle

This may come off as a soapbox rant than anything, but I figure those of you who are regulars would see the sentiment behind it.

I've been making soap like crazy for about three years now and every year the variety of scents grows. Most of the ingredients are purchased locally, yes, I could get them for a few dimes cheaper online, but I love the customer service of local businesses. Well I've shipped several boxes of soap this week and last, which means money has been spent here at the farm. So that means another local business has been supported, then tonight I took some of the money and supported another local business when I made my children so happy as I pulled into the parking lot of a Christmas tree farm. I'd say that's a pretty wonderful circle!

Oh! Speaking of customer service.... about a week ago I pulled into the feed store, (the same one I blogged about here) to get more feed, the guys who normally load the feed into the truck greeted me inside the store and knew what feed I was there for! I didn't even have to say what I wanted, to say that I was stunned was an understatement. Maybe caught off guard would be a better description. I appreciate very much when they call me by my first name and not just after I write it on a check or sign a debit card slip, but as I walk into the store, I appreciate that they know my children's names and converse with them and that when my husband goes into the store, despite the fact we've never been in together they know who he is too. But to be able to know what I need to but before I said it was above and beyond just customer service!

Started your Christmas shopping yet?

A box of our assorted soaps gift wrapped and shipped directly from the farm to the hard to buy for person on your Christmas list makes a great gift! We'll even add a note from you at no extra charge! Tell us where to send it and what you like to say and check it off your list!

Do you or someone on your Christmas list need to slow down, relax and enjoy a hot bath?? Try our bath basket! Brown Sugar Body Polish and Soothing Foot Soak, with or without Goats Milk Soap.

Need a hostess gift, a last minute gift, or "a little something" for the neighbors, teachers, etc. Let us know we can help!

what do these have in common??

Cucumber melon, fresh snow, lilac, and moonlight pomegranate??

These are just a few of the newest soap scents I'll have available the the upcoming Christmas season!

sign in progress

When we bought the farm it had previously been another business, and when the old owners moved out they left the frame of the road side sign in the ground. I've been trying to come up with a sign for some time now and this is the start of that sign. This is one of the pieces that will hang off the bottom of the sign. It's wood burned and will have poly on it when it's ready to hang, but wanted to show you what I've got so far.

What do you think?

where did today go?

I think somebody sped up the clock today as it cannot actually be just a hair shy of midnight?! Seriously where did the day go? I'm really trying to get everything I need to get done finished but seems like I've run out of time for today. I did manage to get most of the soap made, 5 scents to add to the 4 others I made the other day and a few more to make this weekend if everything goes well. And people don't speed up clocks! I was hoping to get a batch or two of cookies made tonight but that seems like it's a job for another day. Good night all and I hope tomorrow does not speed by like today.

Soap done and wrapped - check

I've spent part of my day wrapping all the goat's milks soap I've made so I can deliver it to my customers next week and its a huge job to have done and can now officially check it off my "to do" list. In case you might be interested on any please contact me or leave me a comment. I've got the following scents available:

Peppermint
Jasmine
Soapy Clean
Ancient Sedona (masculine)
Citronella Scented Geranium
Moroccan Fig
English Rose
Balsam
Lavender
Lemon
Orange
I might even have a few oatmeal bars at the first of the week... we'll see how it goes...

On another note I'll be wrapping up another huge project this weekend and I cannot wait to show you guys! That's the reason I haven't posted anything for a while, you'll see why in a few days! YEAH! Making great progress!