The latest updates - including babies and soap!

First of all, I'd like to say that I am SUPER excited and proud to announce.. I'm being interviewed for WAHM Wednesdays on Heidi's blog !! I sent her some soap in a swap, and she liked it so much that she decided to review them on the blog.. I am THRILLED! My interview will be February 4th, you guys make sure to go check it out!

Next up, new "soap porn" - AKA photos of some of my latest soaps :)

Blueberry Pomegranate (now sold out!)
Fredericksburg Peaches & Cream (Part of the Local Soaps Project)

Special "Inauguration Day" soap, scented with "Democrat" - limited edition

and one more, so I don't hog up the post with pictures..

Tomato Basil Salt Bars

Also I want to thank Jennifer from Jennifer Morais Photography, she sent me some photos she did in some Lil' Outlaws Baby Leggies - how sweet of her!

aaaaand finally for the pictures today.. my last maternity shoot, Barbara, came back yesterday and brought their beautiful 7wk old daughter, Ellarie. Here are a couple of my favorites :)





and last but not least, the few updates on the kids:
I've finally switched both kids around to forward facing carseats. McCayla hit the rear-facing limits on her's, and Canon hit a growth spurt so that even though he has a few pounds on the limits, the straps didn't fit anymore. So we saved and saved and bought them two very nice, SUPER safe carseats. We went with the Graco Nautilus - it's a 5-point harness up to 65 lbs and then a belt positioning booster to 100lbs, so basically the last carseat the kids will need. I only wish it were rear-facing as well, so that if we ever had another baby we would be able to get by with one carseat from infant to 10 years old! Oh well, it's still the safest carseat we could get, and we couldn't be happier.. and the kids are pretty happy too, I might add!

(just noticed that McCayla had her chest clip pushed down.. we were parked though LOL)

Everything else is going well here.. still trying to sell the houses and move, but who isn't? Housing market is pretty much shot right now.. Oh well!

Thanks for checking in!

-Jacklen

Miscellaneous Updates and a fun contest!

Contest first!
My friend Holly's company was reviewed on MySentiment Exact Lee - and how cool is that!??! She makes pendants using breastmilk, preserved in a resin bead. I know some of you think "okay, that's a bit nuts" but as a mother who breastfed my children, I think it's beautiful. Making human milk is a special gift, and once your children are older and that gift is gone.. well, you have nothing left but memories of special bonding moments with your babies. Her pendants are a great way to hold on to a bit of that :) And MySentiment Exact Lee is having a giveaway - just post a comment to be entered, but it ends tonight at midnight! So act fast :) Holly has graciously offered to give one lucky winner their very own pendant! I entered - will you?

http://www.mysentimentexactlee.com/2009/01/hollydaydesigns-breastmilk-pendant.html



and I'll be back later with more updates - Canon has a doctor's appointment today for a weird rash and stuff so I need to go get him a bath and get the diapers folded :)

It's been a while, I know :( TONS of pics included..

Sorry it's been so long since I updated.. it's just been one of those months.. holidays are so hectic, lots of rush orders for Lil' Outlaws , trying to get my website updated with a shopping cart feature, plus lots of stuff going on around Bandera in general. Here are a bunch of photos from recently, I'll try to add more text ASAP!

TONS of pics here..
First off, you guys wouldn't believe how many packages have gone out in the last couple of weeks. I finally closed down customs from last Friday until the beginning of the year - however I will be having an after Christmas sale over at Raining Baby Fluff for the few days following Christmas (starting at midnight 12/25).

Check out all the outgoing orders...






And this is how I keep orders straight.. as they come in and get paid for, I copy shipping info and order details to a text file on the computer.. every evening before James gets home, I copy the orders into categories on a dry erase board. When James gets home, he watches kids and gives me free time to work. I knock out all of the day's orders every night, so they can ship the next morning. This is how I get all orders (except wood crafts and Tumbleweeds) out within 24 hours.


And some of my favorites from recently..

Mint Chocolate Pony Soap (scented Mint Chocolate with a toy pony inside, intended to match the fabric of the same name):


Joy to the World embossed soap:

Tumbleweeds:

Bath Fizzers:

and I also now offer bath crayons! Here I wrote on my fridge to test the color intensity..



Let's see, what else..? Oh yeah, we took the kids to drive through Johnson City to see the Christmas lights.. Canon was asleep by the time we got there, but McCayla had a BLAST. Lights are her favorite part of the season..



And we got some snow one night.. it didn't really stick and it was so late at night that we didn't really get any photos.. but when we took McCayla to my mom's the next day there was still a little bit sitting in the shady areas.. here's McCayla with a handful she got off of the trunk of my dad's car..


We went to the Tarpley Christmas Party down at the old schoolhouse.. it was a potluck, so I took my Andes Mint Pie..

And McCayla took this picture of James at the party.. check out the full beard!


And I also started trying my hand at a different kind of soapmaking - I usually do melt and pour soapcasting, but now I'm trying cold process and I really like it. Still getting used to it, I'm only 4 batches in.. but I really am having a lot of fun.
Down front is my first, it's a bluebonnet swirl.. the round ones are Chamomile Tea shampoo bars for my mom, the orange one is a pumpkin spice..

and this is batch #4, it's Sweet Milk and Amber, made with goat's milk..


aaaaaaand yet more pictures :) Lots of photos from the studio - babies and maternity, hooray!











and FINALLY, some photos from this past weekend... we went to the coast with my "sister" Danielle and did round one of her senior photos.. is she amazing or what??








..and then my darling, wonderful hubby dropped me off at the aquarium for a last minute dolphin show :) It's my favorite part and he knows it.. so he watched Canon in the car (Canon was sleeping) while I ran in and watched the dolphins :)


and last but not least, I want to wish my Mommy a very happy birthday - she turns [expletive deleted] today - so Happy XXth Birthday, Mom!! (ROFLMAO)