Grass Couch

Alright, I admit it, I wasn't saved in the rapture, and Macho Man Randy Savage was. There is no justice. Oh well. So the other day I was sitting in my front yard when the police came by and said something to the effect of, "You can't have a couch on your front lawn, and you need to be wearing pants." After a scuffle and a citation, I acquiesced. After a brief search, I found the perfect

Frazil Ice of Yosemite National Park

10 People Buried in Sand

Summer is almost over and it makes me sad. No more picnics, no more BBQs, no more lazy days at the beach, no more false accusations of me sunbathing in the nude (the hood of my car is public property!). As a final farewell to summer, I thought I would share some pictures of people burying themselves in the sand.
A world record attempt at most people buried in the sand.Put that away.Silly

Fire Waterfall of El Capitan

In Yosemite National Park, during the last two weeks of February, orange sunsets are reflected in the falls of El Capitain each evening, making the cascading water look like it’s on fire. How cool is that?
Sources: 1 2 3

A Melanistic (Black) Fawn

So every once in a while you will see an albino deer. It's rare, but they do exist. But even more rare than that, I mean extremely rare, is the melanistic, or black deer. Their hair is black because they produce too much of the skin pigment melatonin. Check out these pictures below. Also, you can hit this link to find out more information on this rare animal.

Montreal Topiary Gardens

I got these in an e-mail, and couldn't track down the original source. Anywho, here are some great pictures of the Montreal Topiary Gardens:

18 Beautiful and Strange Trees

I love trees, they provide so much paper and fire wood beauty. Here are 18 beautiful and strange trees. Also, check out my post about trees growing around things that get in their way.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

Square Watermelons

So apparently a few years back some creative Japanese farmers developed a more compact, square watermelon that will take up less space, and won't roll away. They did it by putting the young watermelons in a small box, and letting them grow into that shape.Source

4 Horses Save Another from Dying

A horse which was shot twice with a cross-bow survived after four fellow steeds spent three hours taking turns – licking the wound clean. Bay mare Zeta came within a whisker of death after one cross bow bolt bounced off her rib while another lodged just one inch from her lung.Evil yobs blasted the 20-year-old bay horse in the stomach while she grazed in a field at Telford, Shropshire, on May 7.

Crab Shell

Oh Carp

The Spiral Jetty - In the Great Salt Lake, Utah

The Spiral Jetty, considered to be the central work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970.Built entirely of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, and water on the shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, The Spiral Jetty forms a counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore of the lake which is only visible when the level of the Great

Nice to Meet You

20 Cool Rocks and Rock Formations

Back in the old days, rocks used to be made of wood. But with today's technology and means of productions, rocks are now made out of rock, making them much cooler, and much more interesting. Here are 20 cool rocks and rock formations:

It's neat how it is just one big, flat slab, with a random hole in it.

To me, this looks like an AT-AT from Star Wars.

Not the safest source of shade.

Looks

Leopard and Golden Retriever Become Friends

Salati, a ten-month-old leopard, and her best friend, golden retriever Tommy, like nothing more than to run amok before settling down for a friendly cuddle.The odd couple were reared together at Glen Afric Country Lodge near Pretoria in South Africa.

New soaps added to the website

Hi everyone, I have been busy today adding lots of new soaps to my site and generally tidying it up a bit, sounds easy but it has taken me the whole day!!

Anyway, go and have a look at:

Rose Garden Mini Soap Cupcakes
http://www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk/Rose-Carden-Mini-Cupcake-p/rg2.htm
So cute and simple looking.  Its a tiny version of its bigger brother Rose Garden.  Palm Oil Free!

Chamomile Spring
http://www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk/Chamomile-Spring-p/ch1.htm
I just love this soap, funny how Lemongrass and sweet orange essential oils smell a little like freshly grated ginger when they are put together - or at least I think they do!  This is selling very fast.  Palm Oil Free!

Vanilla Cream and Sugar Candy
http://www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk/Vanilla-Cream-and-Sugar-Candy-p/vcsc1.htm
One for the kids, or the kid in us!  It has a lovely warm, 'just baked cake' fragrance.  Palm Oil Free!

Azure Waters Sea Salt Bar
 https://www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Azure1
Brand new and really different, treat yourself to your very own 'spa' soap home treatment.  Palm Oil Free!  (not ready for dispatch until after 4th May)

So can you spot the obvious connection with all these new soaps?  Easy - ALL PALM OIL FREE!  I'm so pleased.  So now every remake I do will have all whole Devon goats milk and be palm oil free.  Can't better that, oh yes I can, I almost forgot, I'm about to get my first order of organic, lightly refined Shea Butter from Fresholi  http://www.fresholi.co.uk/

Fresholi organic shea butter comes from Ghana and comes from a Fairly Traded Community Project.  This is what they write about their products sourced using this route:

"Wherever possible, we source quality & sustainable ingredients that support community projects around the world.  We embrace wholeheartedly the ethic of paying a fair price in order to sustain these projects & the communities they support. 

It fills us with enormous pride and satisfaction that both our certified organic tamanu oil and our certified organic unrefined shea butter are sourced from such projects."

Click on the link below to see a presentation about their Shea Butter.

http://www.fresholi.co.uk/galleries/projects/projects-shea.htm

Do leave a comment and let me know what you think of both my new soaps and my desire to go Palm Oil Free - have you yet?

State Flowers

See more about all 50 state flowers, here.

15 Spring Wallpapers

Spring is finally here!. Below are some wallpapers for your desktop. All of them are at least 1280x800. Just click on a photo for a larger image, right click the larger picture, and select "set as background." If it doesn't quite look right, just right click on your desktop, go to properties, select the "desktop" tab, and change the position to either center, tile, or stretch.Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Oh My Goodness - Fab new soap evolving!

Yup, another one that is Palm free, think I must be on a roll now.  This is a soap I have been wanting to make for a long time, tried a couple of times and it did not work, but too busy to keep going.  Finally decided to try and crack the Salt Bar soap  -  Why you might ask... well we all know how health giving and healing salt can be, it makes a fantastic bar of soap,  I have used 75% natural, Portuguese sea salt in this trial batch along with lots of coconut oil and Castor oil for bubbly properties.  Its still very young - some bits hard, some bits very sloppy out of the mold - but has now hardened up beautifully.  Its like polished marble.  I have been using some already and it it bubbly, and lovely, scented with peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils - really fresh and invigorating.

Well, I need a name. I am hoping that eventually this soap could be part of a new Portuguese soap range -  have come up with lots of really naff names (Sea Breeze - see below) but need something that says it all, Atlantic coast, white icing sugar sand, lots of wild waves, very cold sea....... can you help?  have a look at the pics and let me know what you think, all comments gratefully received

A close up of the top of one bar, shows the seasalt embedded in the top

 Another picture of a collection of bars

HELP! I would really love a name that reflected everything I am trying to convey, Summer holidays, Beautiful coast, surf, fab sandy beaches etc.
A really great prize available to the best name......................
Thanks, in anticipation

FINALLY!! A PALM FREE SOAP THAT I AM REALLY PROUD OF

Yes folks, after trying out lots and lots of different recipes as well as trying to source a good sustainable supply of unrefined Palm oil things have moved on.  I have hit on a recipe that I am really thrilled with.  It uses lots more olive oil so, while that is great for your skin, it does mean the soap is a lot softer getting it out of the mold and cutting it up, in fact it was really sticky and I did have to force myself to keep going.  3 weeks later it is already lovely and hard, a gorgeous golden colour and it smells wonderful.  I just hope the scent lasts as its citrus based, I used lemongrass, sweet orange and grapefruit essential oils, together they are fab.

I have used full fat, really fresh local goats milk from my favorite supplier Norsworthy Dairy Goats http://norsworthydairygoats.blogspot.com/ and that has just added to the wonderful creamyness of this soap.  It really is great and while I will still be looking for a good source of sustainable palm oil the rush is over.  If customers like this soap I think I will slowly change all my range to this blend.

The soap will be ready for sale soon and up on the website within a week or so.