A very informative post from Soap-blog on Natural Colorants in soap. They were acquired from a variety of sources on the internet and it is very helpful to have the colorants all in one spot for reference.
Here is the list of natural colorants.
Reds and Pinks
Alkanet Root - Pink/Red to Purple - Infuse 2.5 tbsp per pound olive oil
Beet Root - Pink to Red - Infuse 1 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil
Cochineal Powder - Deep Red - Made from insects and is not considered vegan
Hibiscus - Red
Lady’s Bedstraw - Coral Pink - Use the roots
Madder Root - Pink to Rich Red - Add 1 tbsp per pound soap at light trace
Morroccan Red Clay - Brick Red - Very stable, add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap
Pink Clay - Muted Pink
Rattanjot - Red to Purple - Infuse 1 tsp in 2 ounces of oil
Red Cabbage - Rose - Can add unpleasant scent
Red Palm Oil - Pink to Orange
Red Reef Clay - Deep Red
Red Sandalwood - Maroon - Add ½ to 1 tsp per pound of soap at light trace. Lower pH yields red and higher pH makes purple
Rose Hip Powder - Pink to Burgundy - Add at light trace
Rose Pink Clay - Brick Red - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap
Sorrel - Soft Pink - Use the roots
St John’s Wort Flowers - Red - Infuse flowers
Tomato Puree - Red to Orange
Oranges and Peaches
Annatto Seed - Orange to Yellow - Infuse 2 tsp per pound oil
Butterfly Bush Flowers - Orange to Gold - Infuse flowers
Carrot Powder - Orange - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap at light trace
Dahlia - Orange to Yellow - Infuse
Mace Powder - Orange - Infuse 1 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil
Milks - Orange/Yellow/Brown - Add lye to milk instead of water
Orange Peel Powder - Orange - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap at light trace
Pansy Herb Tea - Orange
Paprika - Peach/ Salmon - Infuse ½ to 1 tsp per pound oil
Pumpkin/Sweet Potato Puree - Deep Orange - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap
Safflower Petals - Orange to Yellow - Infuse/ Petals retain color
Sweet Orange Oil - Orange - Add to scent and color soap at light trace
Tomato Puree - Red to Orange
Tumeric - Orange/Gold - Add to oils or infuse
Wheat Germ - Yellow Orange
Yellows and Golds
Acacia Flowers - Maize Yellow - Infuse flowers
Annatto Seed - Yellow to Orange - Infuse ¼ tsp in 2 ounces oil
Black-Eyed Susan - Yellow - Mix petals in lye solution
Calendula Flowers - Buttery Yellow - Infuse 1 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil or add ¼ cup petals per pound of soap at trace
Chamomile - Yellow/Gold - Infuse 1 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil
Dahlia - Intense Yellow - Infuse
Elderberry Leaves - Yellow - Infuse
Fennel Mustard - Yellow
Ginger Root - Yellow
Goldenrod Flowers - Muted Yellow - Infuse
Ground Mustard - Yellow
Milks - Orange/Yellow/Brown - Add lye to milk instead of water
Red Palm Oil - Creamy Yellow to Gold - Use 1% for creamy yellow and 15% for gold
Safflower Powder - Yellow - Add 1-2 tsp per pound soap at trace
Saffron Petals - Warm Yellow - Infuse
St John’s Wort Leaves - Yellow - Infuse
Tumeric - Gold - Add to oils or infuse 2 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil
Yellow Clay - Yellow - Add 1-3 tsp per pound of soap
Greens
Alfalfa Powder - Pea Soup - Add 2 tsp per 4-5lb batch soap (Unpleasant scent)
Blue Green Algae - Green
Burdock Leaf - Natural Green - Infuse
Chlorella - Green
Chlorophyll (Liquid) - Light Green - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Comfrey Leaf - Deep Sage Green - Add 1 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Cucumber - Pale Green
Dandelion Leaf - Green - Add 1-2 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Dill - Green
French Green Clay - Green - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Kelp - Dark Green - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Mugwort - Greenish Gold
Nettle Leaf - Lime Green - Infuse or add 1 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Olive Leaf - Green - Infuse or add 1 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Parsley - Green - Infuse flakes for better staying powder
Peppermint - Green
Sage - Green
Spinach - Green - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Spirulina Moss - Green - Infuse 1-2 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil or add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap at trace
Stevia Powder - Green - Infuse 2 tbsp in 2 ounces of oil
Ulva Lactica (seaweed) - Sage Green
Blues and Purples
Alkanet Root - Pink/Red to Purple - Infuse 2.5 tbsp per pound olive oil
Black Mulberry Puree - Dark Bluish Purple
Blackberry Puree - Purple
Blue Chamomile EO - Robin’s Egg Blue - Add ½ to 2 tsp per pound soap at trace (Will scent)
Blue Cypress - EO Blue - Add ½ to 2 tsp per pound soap at trace (Will scent)
Blueberry Puree - Blue - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap
Indigo Powder - Blue - Infuse 2 tsp in 2 ounces of oil or add ¼ to ½ tsp per pound soap
Purple Grape Juice - Bluish Purple - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound soap
Purple Indian Corn - Dark Purple/ Maroon
Red Geranium Leaf - Dark Purple to Grey
Red Hibiscus - Purple - Infuse
Red Sandalwood - Purple - Add 3 tbsp per 6 lb soap
Woad Leaf - Sky Blue - Add 1/8 to ½ tsp per 5lb soap
Browns and Tans
Acacia Flowers - Golden Brown - Infuse flowers
Betonite Clay - Beige to Green/Grey - Add 1-3 tbsp per pound of soap
Black Walnut Hull - Rich Brown - Add ¼ to ½ tsp per pound soap at trace
Cinnamon - Tan to Brown - Add ½ to 1 tsp per pound soap at trace
Cloves - Brown - Add ¼ to 1 tsp per pound soap at trace
Cocoa Powder - Dark Brown - Add ¼ to 1 tsp per pound soap at trace
Coffee - Deep Creamy Brown - Use brewed coffee in place of water or add grounds at trace
Comfrey Root - Light Milky Brown
Elderberries - Light Brown - Steep in lye solution
Milks - Orange/Yellow/Brown - Add lye to milk instead of water
Oolong Tea Extract - Brown to Green
Blacks and Greys
Charcoal Activated - Black - Add 1 tbsp per pound soap at light trace
Pumice - Grey
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Old Fashioned Lavender Soap Recipe
Does soap ever behave like you expect it to behave?
I made lavender soap this morning with lard, olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. I used a little beet root powder and activated charcoal, hoping for a color in the lavender family. What I got was dark green and medium green. Hopefully it will morph into a gray color, at least. Newly poured, it looks like this. I will see what it looks like tomorrow after it gels.
Do not forget to always use protective gear when working with lye - safety goggles, plastic gloves, and long sleeves. Keep children and pets away from the mixture and never leave your lye unattended. I mix mine in a plastic pitcher in the sink (in case of volcanic reactions). I also use the sink because I'm messy and usually drip, dribble, or spill my oil mixture sometime during the process.
This is a cold process soap and the recipe is as follows:
Melt the lard and coconut oil in another pitcher or bucket. Slowly add the lye water and mix with a stick blender in short bursts until it reaches trace (the consistency of thin pudding).
Update: This is what the soap looks like two days later. The dark green has morphed into gray (woohoo!) and the light green is more of a beige. Not quite the color I wanted but it will work.
I made lavender soap this morning with lard, olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. I used a little beet root powder and activated charcoal, hoping for a color in the lavender family. What I got was dark green and medium green. Hopefully it will morph into a gray color, at least. Newly poured, it looks like this. I will see what it looks like tomorrow after it gels.
Do not forget to always use protective gear when working with lye - safety goggles, plastic gloves, and long sleeves. Keep children and pets away from the mixture and never leave your lye unattended. I mix mine in a plastic pitcher in the sink (in case of volcanic reactions). I also use the sink because I'm messy and usually drip, dribble, or spill my oil mixture sometime during the process.
This is a cold process soap and the recipe is as follows:
- Lard - 16 ounces
- Coconut Oil, 76 degrees - 12 ounces
- Olive Oil - 12 ounces
- Castor Oil - 4 ounces
- Lye (NaOH) - 6.27 ounces
- Water (distilled) - 16.72 ounces
Melt the lard and coconut oil in another pitcher or bucket. Slowly add the lye water and mix with a stick blender in short bursts until it reaches trace (the consistency of thin pudding).
- I did a very slight water discount so I only used 15.72 ounces of water.
- I added about 1/8 cup of finely chopped lavender buds and 2 TBS Hungarian Lavender essential oil to the mixture at trace. I divided the oil into 2/3 and 1/3. I added 2 TBS Beet Root powder and 1/2 tsp activated charcoal to the 1/3 oil mixture. I alternated the two colored mixtures and poured into the mold. Then I swirled with a wooden stick. As I said, I was expecting gray and got green so now I wait and hope the color changes.
- I sprinkled some lavender buds on top of the soap as a subtle accent.
- This recipe fills a 44 ounce mold.
Update: This is what the soap looks like two days later. The dark green has morphed into gray (woohoo!) and the light green is more of a beige. Not quite the color I wanted but it will work.
What I’ve Learned from Soaping
What I’ve Learned from Soaping
·
Your soap will be the same color as the colorant
you used – dream on.
·
Those bars of soap you made that first week (or
month, or months) aren’t nearly as good as you thought they were.
·
If you can make soap, you can make a soap mold.
·
If you think your soap will always behave and
wait for you to swirl, think again.
·
You should upgrade to a food processor if you
keep shredding your fingers.
·
All your soap batches will be beautiful – nope.
·
Soap making is not a cheap hobby.
·
That lovely fragrance will last forever – I wish.
·
Lye burns but water fixes it.
·
All of your customers will appreciate your
natural colors and scents – No.
·
There are many soap recipes, instructions, and
tips on the web.
·
You will pour your soap batter neatly –
Hahahaha!
·
If you do not know how to rebatch, you will
learn.
·
SoapCalc is a very useful tool and not really
intimidating.
·
Many of your best ideas were actually from other
people on Natural Soap Forum.
Monday, May 11, 2015
100% Coconut Oil Soap for Laundry Butter & Laundry Butter Recipe
I have to look up this recipe every time I think about making 100% coconut soap so that I can make laundry butter - which I haven't done because I'm waiting for my mold to come in to pour the 100% mixture into to make stain sticks a long with my soap bars. That mold should arrive tomorrow (fingers crossed) so I'm putting this recipe where I can find it - in my blog.
Before someone asks, and they alway do:
YOU CANNOT MAKE SOAP WITHOUT LYE.
YOU MUST HAVE LYE TO MAKE SOAP.
NO LYE = NO SOAP!
Please remember that lye is very caustic so handle it carefully. Wear protective eye wear and rubber gloves. Long sleeves are nice if you are like me and always manage to splash a tiny bit of lye water on your arms. If this happens, rinse with cold water (not vinegar as many like to say), and it will be fine. I mix my lye and oils in my sink so that I can stay away from fumes and in case of a lye eruption or me spilling my oils (frequently) my mess is contained to the sink.
I use plastic pitchers from the Dollar Tree for my oils and for my lye water. I use long handled plastic spoons to stir. I've used small wooden sticks to stir the lye water mixture and the wood bends almost immediately. You should also only use glass or stainless steel or plastic, and please don't use the same items for soaping as you do for preparing food. Why take the chance?
Original post is from Mommypotamus.
Original recipe called for essential oil but there is no point since the scent will not show up in your clothes.
The recipe is:
Melt your coconut oil.
When both your lye water and oil has cooled to 110 degrees - 120 degrees, add lye water to your coconut oil slowly and stir with a stick blender in short bursts until you reach trace. When it is the consistency of thin pudding, pour into your mold.
Coconut oil soap needs to be cut pretty quickly. Instead of the normal 24 hours, you should unmold and cut your soap within a few hours. Otherwise, it will be too hard to cut. Remember, this soap is only 1% superfat so it will be drying to skin but it makes a great laundry soap.
This is the recipe for Laundry Butter.
Original recipe from Fat Farm Girl.
To make Laundry Butter Cream Soap:
*Grate 6 ounces of 0% SF coconut laundry soap
* In a stainless steel pot with a lid, bring 6 cups of distilled water just to a boil, then take off the heat
* Pour grated soap into hot water and stir to dissolve completely
* *Slowly* sprinkle in 1 cup of borax, and stir until dissolved. *Do* *not* add to boiling water or with the soap when the water is super hot, or it will crystalize and you'll never get the crystals out.
* Stir in 1 cup of washing soda (made by baking 1 cup of baking soda @ 400F for 30 min.) and stir to dissolve.
* Cover pot with the lid and let the mixture gel at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours until completely cool and set. Don't try to speed up process, or you'll end up with more crystals.
* When mixture is completely cool and gelled, use the stick blender to emulsify, making sure to get the bottom of the pot where some of your borax may have settled. Blend until the soap is the consistency of thick, creamy mayonnaise all the way through and all clumps are gone.
* At this time you can add any EOs that you'd like. Some essential oils survive the washer better than other. Some scents stay better if you use a clothes line rather than a heat dryer. Lemongrass is my best seller.
* Bottle into 2 one quart canning jars, tamping lightly on a folded towel to expel air bubbles. Store at room temp.
This recipe can be easily expanded. I make mine in 6 gallon batches to accommodate five flats of quart-sized jars. From start to finish, I can turn out a full batch in a 6 hour day.
The perks of Laundry Butter are:
Compact size: 1 jar washes approximately 160-175 standard loads in either front loading or top loading. washers. Unlike liquid soaps, you don't need a 5 gallon bucket to store a year's supply, and every jar weighs right around 3 pounds, making it ideal for college students and apartment dwellers.
Naturally phosphate free, making it gentle for the environment.
Less messy than either the powdered or liquid laundry soaps.
Very economical: it's not just multi-purpose, it's also super-concentrated. One Tablespoon washes a standard load of laundry. *And* the jar is recyclable. I give my farmer's market customers $2 off when they bring their jars back.
It's good for people with skin sensitivity. I have severe skin allergies, and this is the one soap that doesn't make me break out in hives.
Before someone asks, and they alway do:
YOU CANNOT MAKE SOAP WITHOUT LYE.
YOU MUST HAVE LYE TO MAKE SOAP.
NO LYE = NO SOAP!
Please remember that lye is very caustic so handle it carefully. Wear protective eye wear and rubber gloves. Long sleeves are nice if you are like me and always manage to splash a tiny bit of lye water on your arms. If this happens, rinse with cold water (not vinegar as many like to say), and it will be fine. I mix my lye and oils in my sink so that I can stay away from fumes and in case of a lye eruption or me spilling my oils (frequently) my mess is contained to the sink.
I use plastic pitchers from the Dollar Tree for my oils and for my lye water. I use long handled plastic spoons to stir. I've used small wooden sticks to stir the lye water mixture and the wood bends almost immediately. You should also only use glass or stainless steel or plastic, and please don't use the same items for soaping as you do for preparing food. Why take the chance?
Original post is from Mommypotamus.
Original recipe called for essential oil but there is no point since the scent will not show up in your clothes.
The recipe is:
Laundry Soap (1% superfat)
Makes approximately 44 oz. of soap.- 33 oz coconut oil, 76 degree*
- 5.9 ounces lye (NaOH)*
- 12 oz water
Melt your coconut oil.
When both your lye water and oil has cooled to 110 degrees - 120 degrees, add lye water to your coconut oil slowly and stir with a stick blender in short bursts until you reach trace. When it is the consistency of thin pudding, pour into your mold.
Coconut oil soap needs to be cut pretty quickly. Instead of the normal 24 hours, you should unmold and cut your soap within a few hours. Otherwise, it will be too hard to cut. Remember, this soap is only 1% superfat so it will be drying to skin but it makes a great laundry soap.
This is the recipe for Laundry Butter.
Original recipe from Fat Farm Girl.
To make Laundry Butter Cream Soap:
*Grate 6 ounces of 0% SF coconut laundry soap
* In a stainless steel pot with a lid, bring 6 cups of distilled water just to a boil, then take off the heat
* Pour grated soap into hot water and stir to dissolve completely
* *Slowly* sprinkle in 1 cup of borax, and stir until dissolved. *Do* *not* add to boiling water or with the soap when the water is super hot, or it will crystalize and you'll never get the crystals out.
* Stir in 1 cup of washing soda (made by baking 1 cup of baking soda @ 400F for 30 min.) and stir to dissolve.
* Cover pot with the lid and let the mixture gel at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours until completely cool and set. Don't try to speed up process, or you'll end up with more crystals.
* When mixture is completely cool and gelled, use the stick blender to emulsify, making sure to get the bottom of the pot where some of your borax may have settled. Blend until the soap is the consistency of thick, creamy mayonnaise all the way through and all clumps are gone.
* At this time you can add any EOs that you'd like. Some essential oils survive the washer better than other. Some scents stay better if you use a clothes line rather than a heat dryer. Lemongrass is my best seller.
* Bottle into 2 one quart canning jars, tamping lightly on a folded towel to expel air bubbles. Store at room temp.
This recipe can be easily expanded. I make mine in 6 gallon batches to accommodate five flats of quart-sized jars. From start to finish, I can turn out a full batch in a 6 hour day.
The perks of Laundry Butter are:
Compact size: 1 jar washes approximately 160-175 standard loads in either front loading or top loading. washers. Unlike liquid soaps, you don't need a 5 gallon bucket to store a year's supply, and every jar weighs right around 3 pounds, making it ideal for college students and apartment dwellers.
Naturally phosphate free, making it gentle for the environment.
Less messy than either the powdered or liquid laundry soaps.
Very economical: it's not just multi-purpose, it's also super-concentrated. One Tablespoon washes a standard load of laundry. *And* the jar is recyclable. I give my farmer's market customers $2 off when they bring their jars back.
It's good for people with skin sensitivity. I have severe skin allergies, and this is the one soap that doesn't make me break out in hives.
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Re-Batch Cranberry Pomegranate Soap
A while back, I made my ugliest soap to date. It didn't start out exactly ugly, but the fragrance was black cherry and the fragrance didn't stick. At all. So I re-batched it, which I hate to do, and it got uglier but didn't really smell any better.
I also made a lavender-herb soap, which smelled okay, but it was pretty blah in color. A dirty oatmeal color which was not my intended result.
I recently read about the oven method of re-batch and decided to combine a few ideas - I put my shredded soap into two cooking bags. The black cherry in one and the beige lavender-herb in the other. I added 1/2 cup water to the dry black cherry soap and just a few drops to the new lavender soap. I placed them into casserole dishes and placed them in a 170 degree oven for a few hours until the soap was melted. When melted, I opened the bags, added my Cranberry Pomegranate Fragrance Oil and my mica which had been mixed with 1/4 cup oil. One mica was a rich burgundy color and the other was gold.
Score!!!! The soap looks and smells so much better.
Here it is. It still has to cure and I have to clean it up a little, but it sure beats it's predecessor.
I also made a lavender-herb soap, which smelled okay, but it was pretty blah in color. A dirty oatmeal color which was not my intended result.
I recently read about the oven method of re-batch and decided to combine a few ideas - I put my shredded soap into two cooking bags. The black cherry in one and the beige lavender-herb in the other. I added 1/2 cup water to the dry black cherry soap and just a few drops to the new lavender soap. I placed them into casserole dishes and placed them in a 170 degree oven for a few hours until the soap was melted. When melted, I opened the bags, added my Cranberry Pomegranate Fragrance Oil and my mica which had been mixed with 1/4 cup oil. One mica was a rich burgundy color and the other was gold.
Score!!!! The soap looks and smells so much better.
Here it is. It still has to cure and I have to clean it up a little, but it sure beats it's predecessor.
Monday, April 27, 2015
A Very Cheap Soap Mold from Hobby Lobby
Pics of my latest soap. Island Escape (because I used Island Escape fragrance oil). It isn't coming out the color I had hoped for. Can't see any pink or orange/yellow, just the usual color of yellow-green. The pic of the single cut bar of soap is Cucumber Spearmint and has real cucumber in it, but it looks a lot like my Island Escape, with has no cucumber in it. Back to the drawing board of natural soap colors.
FYI, this "Soap Mold" was an unfinished rectangular box from Hobby Lobby. It's around 13" long and retail price is $6.99 and with the 40% off coupon it was $4.20. I removed the top and hardware and it's almost the same size as one of the $40 wooden soap loaf molds. I line it with freezer paper, put a one inch ribbon between the freezer paper and the wooden box, and use it to pull the soap up and out. Easy Peasy. This mold holds 44 oz.
FYI, this "Soap Mold" was an unfinished rectangular box from Hobby Lobby. It's around 13" long and retail price is $6.99 and with the 40% off coupon it was $4.20. I removed the top and hardware and it's almost the same size as one of the $40 wooden soap loaf molds. I line it with freezer paper, put a one inch ribbon between the freezer paper and the wooden box, and use it to pull the soap up and out. Easy Peasy. This mold holds 44 oz.
 |
| Island Escape |
 |
| Island Escape |
 |
| Cucumber Spearmint |
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Photo Book for my hubby.
New photo book!
Click here to view this photo book larger
The new way to make a photo album: photo books by Shutterfly.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Peaches
Peaches is sick and only has a few months left, unless we get a miracle. Here is a Selfie of the two of us - not a great pic of me but it's a great one of Miss Peach.
Update: I think that two months was optimistic. Miss Peach died on March 24 of a heart attack. She died while I was holding her and I'm sure she is having a great time with our Dutchie and Tabitha.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Hang in There Handmade Card
I haven't posted in years. What can I say? I'm a slacker!
I received scrap booking supplies for my birthday several months ago. I've tried scrap booking and I hated it. It's just plain boring to me. But I did discover card making and I love card making. I've made about 80 cards and given away close to 40. I just enjoy making cards.
Here is my latest card, Hang in There.
Friday, July 01, 2011
The Perils of Facetime
My daughter, Kimmie, has impeccable timing when it comes to iPhone/iPad Facetime. Tonight she called as I was stepping out of the shower. Not only do I have dripping hair and no make-up when she calls. I'm also naked. I felt the need to decline so my grandsons wouldn't go blind and be scarred for life.
But I'm curious. If I wear makeup for 14 hours a day, how does Kimmie know to call during those other 2 hours? It's always when I look the worse that she wants to request Facetime? And instead of the two inch face on my iPhone, I get to have a 10 inch face on her iPad.
And now you know why I didn't answer the phone naked!
But I'm curious. If I wear makeup for 14 hours a day, how does Kimmie know to call during those other 2 hours? It's always when I look the worse that she wants to request Facetime? And instead of the two inch face on my iPhone, I get to have a 10 inch face on her iPad.
And now you know why I didn't answer the phone naked!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Scenes from Colorado
I'm in Co Springs right now, enjoying Kimmie, Michael, and the boys, Reece and Aiden (aka Beau). I arrived Thursday, went to the Royal Gorge on Friday, the zoo on Saturday, and we are going to Golden CO tomorrow to visit Thomas the Train. Here are a few pics.
Kimmie and the boys, on the Royal Gorge Bridge
The boys helping Grandma up the hill (I was Nana for 4 yrs and suddenly I am now called Grandma)
Well, if you are going to take a photo, I'm going to pose for you.
How far down did you say it was?
View of the canyon floor (Arkansas River) with camera zoom. Several years ago we rafted the rapids but the river is too low to do that now.
View of the Royal Gorge and Bridge from the canyon. Scared of heights? Not for you!
View from the bridge
The "Great White Hunter" at the zoo
Such a drama queen! But he comes by it naturally.
Kimmie and the boys, on the Royal Gorge Bridge
The boys helping Grandma up the hill (I was Nana for 4 yrs and suddenly I am now called Grandma)
Well, if you are going to take a photo, I'm going to pose for you.
How far down did you say it was?
View of the canyon floor (Arkansas River) with camera zoom. Several years ago we rafted the rapids but the river is too low to do that now.
View of the Royal Gorge and Bridge from the canyon. Scared of heights? Not for you!
View from the bridge
The "Great White Hunter" at the zoo
Such a drama queen! But he comes by it naturally.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Free eBook Reads by Lietha Wards
If you are interested in reading free eBooks, and that means LEGALLY free eBooks, with the permission of the author, you really need to try the writing of Lietha Wards. I found her on the website Scribd and I've read all ten of her books. She cranks them out fairly quickly and she is really good. The books could use a little bit of editing but basically, they are better than many of the romance books I've read. She has a lot of talent. There is a vampire romance, a historical, and several contemporary books.
Give them a try. The books have all been available online for 1 - 6 months and have between 3900 and 10,000 reads EACH. Pretty impressive for an amateur.
Give them a try. The books have all been available online for 1 - 6 months and have between 3900 and 10,000 reads EACH. Pretty impressive for an amateur.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Blondes are the Best - Blonde Jokes
I didn't make these up. I'm just repeating them because they are funny.
Blondes Are The Best!!!
A blonde and her husband are lying in bed
Listening to the next door neighbor's dog..
It has been in the backyard barking for hours and hours.
The blonde jumps up out of bed and says,
"I've had enough of this".
She goes downstairs.
The blonde finally comes back up to bed
And her husband says "The dog is still barking,
What have you been doing?"
The blonde says,
"I put the dog in our backyard,
let's see how THEY like it!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Two Blondes With Hammers...
Lynn and Judy were doing some carpenter work on a Habitat for Humanity
House. Lynn was nailing down house siding, would reach into her nail ,
Pouch, pull out a nail and either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.
Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, 'Why are you
Throwing those nails away?'
Lynn explained, 'When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of
Them have the head on the wrong end and I throw them away.'
Judy got completely upset and yelled, 'You moron! Those nails aren't
Defective! They're for the other side of the house!'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie?
They had gone to see 'Closed for the Winter.'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You might have to think twice about this one.
A blonde hurried into the emergency room late one night with the tip
Of her index finger shot off. 'How did this happen?' the emergency
Room doctor asked her.
'Well, I was trying to commit suicide,' the blonde replied.
'What?' sputtered the doctor. 'You tried to commit suicide by shooting
Off your finger?'
'No, Silly' the blonde said. 'First I put the gun to my chest, and
Then I thought, 'I just paid $6, 000.00 for these implants...
I'm not shooting myself in the chest.'
'So then?' asked the doctor.
'Then I put the gun in my mouth, and I thought, 'I just paid $3,000.00
To get my teeth straightened I'm not shooting myself in the mouth.'
'So then?'
'Then I put the gun to my ear, and I thought: 'This is going to make a
Loud noise. So I put my finger in my other ear before I pulled the
Trigger.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A blonde was driving home after a game and got caught in a really bad
Hailstorm.. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it
To a repair shop. The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he
Decided to have some fun... He told her to go home and blow into the
Tail pipe really hard, and all the dents would pop out.
So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands and knees and started
Blowing into her tailpipe.. Nothing happened.. So she blew a little
Harder, and still nothing happened.
Her blonde roommate saw her and asked, 'What are you doing?' The first
Blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the
Tail pipe in order to get all the dents to pop out.
The roommate rolled her eyes and said, 'Uh, like hello!
You need to roll up the windows first.'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
These are just too cute not to pass on!!!!
A blonde was shopping at Target and came across a shiny silver
Thermos. She was quite fascinated by it, so she picked it up and took
It to the clerk to ask what it was.
The clerk said, 'Why, that's a thermos..... It keeps hot things hot,
And cold things cold.'
'Wow, said the blonde, 'that's amazing....I'm going to buy it!' So she
Bought the thermos and took it to work the next day.
Her boss saw it on her desk. 'What's that,' he asked?
'Why, that's a thermos..... It keeps hot things hot and cold things
Cold,' she replied..
Her boss inquired, 'What do you have in it?'
The blond replied......'Two popsicles and some coffee.'
+++++++++++++
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
A blonde goes into work one morning crying her eyes out.
Her boss asked sympathetically, 'What's the matter?'
The blonde replies, 'Early this morning I got a phone call saying that
My mother had passed away.'
The boss, feeling sorry for her, says, 'Why don't you go home for the
Day? Take the day off to relax and rest.'
'Thanks, but I'd be better off here. I need to keep my mind off it and
I have the best chance of doing that here.'
The boss agrees and allows the blonde to work as usual. A couple of
hours pass and the boss decides to check on the blonde. He looks out
from his office and sees the blonde crying hysterically...
'What's so bad now? Are you gonna be okay?' he asks.
'No!' exclaims the blonde. 'I just received a horrible call from my
sister. Her mother died, too!'
Blondes Are The Best!!!
The Most Over Used Words in Paranormal Romance
Now I'm not going to say what books I've been listening to on the iTouch lately. I have about 20 to read that I've already purchased by various authors, so I'm not going to name any names. But they are definitely NOT the books by my favorite authors. Those ladies can do no wrong (most of the time).
But I have decided to publish my list of "Most Over Used Words/Phrases In Paranormal Romance. This also includes regular romance novels, too, or at least the racy ones. So here they are:
Don't get me wrong, I love my romance and paranormals for escapism. But after reading the last several hundred I've come to the conclusion that we "mundane" humans can never have the kind of love, relationship, orgasms, etc. that the loftly paranormals experience. They wear me out just reading about them. These people can go at it all day long and never tire. I must be missing something in my normal life and after talking to some of my girl friends, I'm not the only one. Not once has someone said to me, "Those vamps/weres/fairies/witches/elves (well, you get the idea) have nothing on me"!
Since I'm not a writer - I have no patience for dialog. Those quotation marks and new paragraphs are a pain in the rear - I really shouldn't complain. But for all of you fantastic writers out there, please remember.... Languid is an acceptable substitute for Boneless.
And, oh yeah, stop calling all of those heroines "Little One". I've been short all my life and was once a tiny little thing. Did men call me "Little One" as a nick name? Heck no! They called me "Shorty", like Indiana Jones' sidekick!
I would love to be able to write though.
Notes to my favorite authors:
Carrie Vaughn - Cormac, not Ben!
Kim Harrison - Not Pierce! I like Al, he has charisma.
Karen Chance - I'm just not sure about Mircea. But Dorina and Louis-Cesare? Thumbs up!
But I have decided to publish my list of "Most Over Used Words/Phrases In Paranormal Romance. This also includes regular romance novels, too, or at least the racy ones. So here they are:
- liquid heat
- velvety softness
- black eyes
- silky hair
- possessive mate
- emerald/sapphire eyes (depending on the heroine's eye color)
Don't get me wrong, I love my romance and paranormals for escapism. But after reading the last several hundred I've come to the conclusion that we "mundane" humans can never have the kind of love, relationship, orgasms, etc. that the loftly paranormals experience. They wear me out just reading about them. These people can go at it all day long and never tire. I must be missing something in my normal life and after talking to some of my girl friends, I'm not the only one. Not once has someone said to me, "Those vamps/weres/fairies/witches/elves (well, you get the idea) have nothing on me"!
Since I'm not a writer - I have no patience for dialog. Those quotation marks and new paragraphs are a pain in the rear - I really shouldn't complain. But for all of you fantastic writers out there, please remember.... Languid is an acceptable substitute for Boneless.
And, oh yeah, stop calling all of those heroines "Little One". I've been short all my life and was once a tiny little thing. Did men call me "Little One" as a nick name? Heck no! They called me "Shorty", like Indiana Jones' sidekick!
I would love to be able to write though.
Notes to my favorite authors:
Carrie Vaughn - Cormac, not Ben!
Kim Harrison - Not Pierce! I like Al, he has charisma.
Karen Chance - I'm just not sure about Mircea. But Dorina and Louis-Cesare? Thumbs up!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Reece's Self-Decoration
Kimmie walked out of the room for just a few minutes and when she walked back in, this is what Reece looked like.
He is obviously showing his artistic side.
Luckily, he didn't try to decorate Aiden, too!
This photo isn't as recent, but I can't post a photo of one grandson without posting one of the other. Notice how the hands are blurry. It's almost impossible to take a picture of Aiden that something isn't moving and blurry!Now What?
I really have been enjoying the iPod iTouch that Bill bought me for our anniversary. Well technically, this is the iPod he bought me to replace my anniversary iTouch because I found that 8 gb wasn't big enough. Anyway, I love listening to audio books on this thing. I listen to it when I walk, when I do housework (not that I do very much housework) when I sort mail for that first hour in the morning. I've listened to lots of books in the past 4 months, including several great series such as:
So the question is.... What do series do I start on next?
I have some Christine Feehan books to get started on my iTouch and Laurell K Hamilton books to read. I've held off because once I get started on a series I can't stop until I finish all of them, which gets a little bit expensive in audio books.
What to do, what to do???
- Patrica Briggs - Mercy Thompson (walker/coyote shape shifter)
- Rachel Caine - Morganville vampires
- Karen Chance - Cassandra Palmer books
- Kim Harrison - The Hollow series
- Gina Showalter - Lords of the Underworld
- Carrie Vaughn - Kitty books (werewolf radio host)
- Rachel Vincent - Soul series
So the question is.... What do series do I start on next?
I have some Christine Feehan books to get started on my iTouch and Laurell K Hamilton books to read. I've held off because once I get started on a series I can't stop until I finish all of them, which gets a little bit expensive in audio books.
What to do, what to do???
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Well Heck!
Someone needs to learn to proof their posts...
I posted a link to my previous post about Marjorie M. Liu's game that is "couing out soon". Errr, that should have read COMING. I imagine that if I change it now the link to the post will be screwed up so "couing" stays.
Sometimes, I am such an idiot!
I posted a link to my previous post about Marjorie M. Liu's game that is "couing out soon". Errr, that should have read COMING. I imagine that if I change it now the link to the post will be screwed up so "couing" stays.
Sometimes, I am such an idiot!
Marjorie M. Liu Has a Game Couing Out Soon!
Having read all of Marjorie M. Liu's books (and of course, I've loved them all), I was thrilled to hear that she is getting a game based on the first in her Dirk and Steele novels. The book is Tiger Eye
and I can guarantee that if the game is half as good as the book, it's a winner. The game is available for pre-order on the PassionFruit Games site for a mere $9.99. According to PassionFruit's website, Tiger-Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box is a hidden-object style game loaded with compelling puzzles and minigames, beautiful voice-acted cinematics… and titillating romance. I can't wait to play the game. As much as I love Liu's writing, I know I'm going to be playing this game for hours. I can always sleep later!
and I can guarantee that if the game is half as good as the book, it's a winner. The game is available for pre-order on the PassionFruit Games site for a mere $9.99. According to PassionFruit's website, Tiger-Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box is a hidden-object style game loaded with compelling puzzles and minigames, beautiful voice-acted cinematics… and titillating romance. I can't wait to play the game. As much as I love Liu's writing, I know I'm going to be playing this game for hours. I can always sleep later!
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About Me
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- I love my 2 grandsons and reading. I like traveling but the only place I go any more is Colorado. Maybe after I move to Colorado I'll travel to other places.