Risky Business

I recently made two new batches of soap: one during Jude's nap time, and one while he was actually awake and busy playing. I knew it was risky.

To make a good batch of soap, you need plenty of time and concentration. You have to make sure your measurements are just right, and just before you complete the "saponification" (yes, that's a real word) process, you have to get your kettle of oils and your container of sodium hydroxide between 95-98 degrees at the EXACT SAME TIME. That may not sound like a big deal to some, but I am no scientist! When I began making soap, I thought it was just another crafty thing for me to do. By the time I found out it required goggles, scales, gloves, a thermometer and not a whole lot of craftiness, it didn't matter because I was already hooked. I messed up plenty of times, but eventually it became less like science and a little more like a hobby.

So, I was very proud when I was able to make a successful batch while entertaining my son AND getting my measurements and temperatures accurate. The first batch I made was scented with Oakmoss & Fir Needle, which I decided to name Into the Wild because I imagine 'Alex Supertramp' must have smelled something equally delightful during his time in the Alaskan wilderness (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, I highly recommend the movie!). The second batch was Oatmeal soap with just a tiny splash of Red Apple essential oil. Richard loves Into the Wild and we can't wait to test out our Apple Oatmeal! (I will share pictures soon but our camera is currently MIA : ). We are already planning and preparing to sell our soaps at the Lilburn Farmer's Market once again this summer--we can't wait...


So, now that the New Year is fully under way and tomorrow is February, how are you doing with those New Year's Resolutions? For the Pruitt household, we are holding up strong! Granted, we got a little later start on our resolution to eat healthier, but so far, so good! It is a daily struggle to make healthy decisions for our bodies, but I know it will get easier as it becomes more of a habit. And we already feel so much better...just a little hungrier as those steamed veggies don't seem to fill me up quite like those corn dogs* used to! We also started taking the Momentum class at Perimeter Church which is kind of like putting our finances on a diet. Overall, we are excited about a healthy 2011 : ). *on a side note, I don't actually eat corn dogs very often--just at the fair--but boy would I love to*


We are also super excited about starting the adoption process again this year, but we don't know exactly how/when/where--just that we want to get started! We are just praying and waiting for God to lead us so that we can follow and get started. We'll keep you posted as things unfold. In the meantime, here are a few pictures to tide you over:

Ah, this was our very first family photo--taken

the very moment we met--doesn't Jude look thrilled?

our family photo this Christmas, almost one

full year later--Jude IS thrilled

my very 1st attempt at decorating cupcakes 

for Jude's 2nd Birthday/1st Party : )

It was harder than I thought--navigating a tube of icing 

is not exactly like moving a pencil or a paintbrush!

 our baby boy is 2!

a tree and some snow

Today Janelle came by and picked up her tree painting. She would have received it sooner, but here in Georgia we had what some refer to as "Snowpocalypse 2011" or "Snow Week" 2011. Whatever you want to call it, our record snowfall had most of our state out of school for an entire week. For the Pruitt family, this meant snowboarding in our yard, eating as many yummy meals as possible with no concern for calories, and watching as much tv as possible by the fire. Needless to say, we were sick of food and tv by the 2nd or 3rd day and the snow turned into ice which made our "snowboard" sledding a little less fun. But, nevertheless, we had some great family time on our "Snow"cation.

Yes, those are Kroger bags taped to my child's feet...

I learned it from my mom : )

my two favorite boys

Jude loved his snowboard sled
and kept asking to go

"back back" to the top of the hill

our attempt at a family photo

one of my favorite spots in our backyard-

beautiful in any season

The "snow"cation allowed time for me to put some finishing touches on Janelle's tree painting. And so I present to you the finished piece. The canvas was large, so I had to photograph it in sections in order to show any detail...

And to conclude my post, I'll leave you with a few more photos by this excellent photographer who captured our family's love so perfectly...

One of my New Year's resolutions is to commit to my blog this year. Don't you love the idea of a "New Year"? A chance to start some things over, make changes...2010 was such a big year for our family. For me, personally, I became a mom, turned 30, and began working part-time. Oh, and I ran my first 5K! I can't wait to see what's in store for 2011.

Part of the reason I stopped blogging in October was because I started working on multiple artworks and had very little free time! None of them were for profit, but served as very special gifts for important people in my life. Here are a few of them:

This is a photo of me with my former Principal who retired in November. She is a quilter who loves inspirational quotes, so I had our school staff come up with two quotes each (for a total of 180 for each day of the school year). I typed each quote into a tiny 2" triangle and created the quilt pattern that you see above. It was a labor of love, but it was worth it : ).  Below is a close-up of those meticulous little triangles:

So as this project ended, I quickly began another. I wanted to do something special for my husband's aunt, Linda, who keeps Jude on the days I work. She is an amazing mother to her two daughters who are now both in college. I know she misses that role of nurturing her daughters as she did when they were younger--but she gets to experience it a few days a week when taking care of Jude. Thanks to her, I never have to worry about him when I'm at work--AND he knows his alphabet. She's pretty amazing. So, as a gift from one mom to another, I decided to paint a portrait of her daughters when they were little.

my attempt to photograph with natural light
...with my phone : )

a close-up of the top half

and a close-up of those cute baby feet

As soon as Christmas was over, I began a special painting for my favorite photographer, Janelle Rushin of Janelle Rushin Photography. Janelle took these amazing photos of our family...

There are so many more incredible pictures from our photo shoot, but I'll save those for my next post when I reveal Janelle's painting (she hasn't seen it yet, so I can't share it with YOU until she's had the first peek, of course!). Stay tuned...

Soap for Hope

Friday I received a call from my dear crafty friend Buzzy. A friend of hers was having a benefit to raise money for HIV+ orphans in Kenya and wanted to know if I had anything to donate to the auction. I was thrilled! I knew exactly what I had on hand to donate--soap! I started making soap 7 years ago as bridesmaid gifts for my wedding. In the years that followed I made it during the holidays as Christmas gifts for co-workers. This summer my soap took on a whole new meaning as I saw it as an opportunity to raise money for a second adoption. My sweet husband and I sold it at a local Farmers' Market and had so much fun!

We actually got a lot of business and some great feedback from return customers. I heard lots of comments about the great lather and how it is great for shaving! We definitely plan to return to the market next summer as it was such a great experience and learning curve. My husband loved the atmosphere of the marketing and getting to know the other vendors, like Tony the Del Sol salsa guy, and the Iron Man athlete with The Good Stuff homemade granola. If you are in the Lilburn area on a Friday night next summer, look for us at the market!

It keeps me up at night...

For the past three years, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about adoption. I dreamed of it before we started the process of bringing home our son, I obsessed about it during the agonizing wait to bring home our son, and now that he is here I thank God every day for the gift of being able to call this precious child my son.

                                                 
But even now, with my husband and son both safely snuggled into bed for the night and my heart so full I feel it may burst, I sit here continuing to think about the fatherless.

It keeps me up at night...and God is calling me, urging me, to do something about it.

This blog is dedicated to my humble attempt to create and sell artwork to help children in need of a family.