Don't Eat Soap!

Non Soap Local Rant

2011-04-07T06:15:00.004-04:00

MamaV lives in Schenectady, NY in a nice little house with her happy little family. When she moved to Schenectady (10years ago), the house cost less than $100,000 (significantly less). Somehow, with no improvements, the house is now magically worth $119,000. Her taxes now account for half of her mortgage payment and MamaV is not amused.

So to the government of Schenectady: Fix this. We have 60,000 people living in the city. If only 2,000 pay taxes, that's a problem. Screw the Metroplex and their "Payments in Lieu of Taxes". The homeowners need some help. Or we will sell our houses to the lowest bidder and go elsewhere. Out of Schenectady and probably out of New York State.

Our school system is a joke and driving around on any weekday (when school is in session) shows how seriously school officials take truancy.

Our roads are crumbling. Stop paving half blocks. Would I like a new sidewalk? Sure thing! But you can't afford it. Pave the roads and pave them correctly (I can see the trolley rails that were buried along Eastern. Why are they still there?).

My name is MamaV and I am a tired tax payer.

Day 2 - It walks...

2011-01-02T16:21:00.004-05:00

So after poking MamaV with sticks, Juan the Soap Elf abandoned all common sense and went in with a sniffie of tea tree/cedar wood that MamaV has been working on. MamaV's first intelligible words of 2011 were "Needs lavender".

Then she scooped up the essential oils, some Polysorbate 20, and a pipette, stepped on Juan the Soap Elf, and raced to the soap kitchen where she tested the blend in some liquid soap.

We're hopeful that she'll stay on this path of productivity. But if not, we'll keep the poking stick handy.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T18:29:00.002-05:00

MamaV had all sorts of grand plans today: soaps, bath bombs, lotion bars...but we've been poking her with a stick since the ball dropped over the Big Apple and there's no movement. Some snoring. But nothing we can really call awareness.

So from all of us hiding in MamaV's cupboard, Happy New Year (and please hide the cooking sherry next year). We expect great things and much activity from MamaV. Just not today.

Slacker!

2010-12-22T05:41:00.002-05:00

MamaV has been a super slacker lately. She knows it. We know it. Now you know it. Also, she appears to have deleted a linked photo. So she's stupid and a slacker.

We hope to see her in the soap kitchen soon. We're out of bath bombs and liquid soap. So if you see her, giver her a glare for us.

Where's Mama V?

2010-09-07T19:27:00.004-04:00

Sorry, Waldo. No offense.

Mama V seems to have a craft fair this Saturday (9/11/2010) in the "Little Italy" section of Schenectady. To be honest, we're a little worried that she won't make it.

We've seen evidence of soap making as seen in a (since deleted) hastily captured early, early morning shot:

The coffee indicates Mama V was nearby.

But will she be ready?

Latest Ramblings

2010-05-29T13:32:00.004-04:00

Tropical Vacation wafts through the soap room. The new mold arrived and was christened. Mama over-estimated the volume so instead of 25 little bars, she created 50 FABULOUS bars. Word on State Street is she ordered 4 pounds of new fragrance.

After the alpha batch finishes curing, it'll be dressed up and sent out to hustle.

Mama has also been bombing again. But these are successful. Mama Has a new technique in mind to create Bath Bomb Pearls. So far, we're not seeing the pearl part, but we love bath bomb testing so we're not telling her.

The Creature - She Walks!

2010-04-30T20:02:00.002-04:00

When last we saw MamaV, she was a bit outside our realm of comprehension. Not exactly around the bend but nowhere near sane. In the interim, the dog died, her church closed, several fish swam to the light, and her grandmother went home to Jesus.

But MamaV is better now. If one of her "sassafrassing" soap molds ever arrives, she's all set to soap her face off. We even caught her folding waked paper in the shape of her old log molds. Will she soap? One can never tell.

Update on MamaV

2009-03-01T05:28:00.002-05:00

MamaV had a really rough February. The bad luck started with her Dad's stroke on 2/1 and ended with watching a stranger die on the street on 2/28. Given all that transpired in that evil month, we expected her to be far more bitter. But she's really not. She's rather calm. Which could be scary.

So, we hope that MamaV has a better 2009 now that February has slunk off. We also really, REALLY want to see her get back into the soap kitchen. We've scooched the coconut oil closer to the hot water pipe and it's nice and slushy...

Rest in Peace.

2009-02-28T06:21:00.002-05:00

Bob died Friday night (2/27/2009) at 11:55 PM.

February was a very crappy month.

Please read quietly - Mama is resting

2009-02-25T05:55:00.002-05:00

Bob decided to get back to death. He's again exhibiting "Medically Appropriate Symptoms" so can stay in the hospital for little longer.

If we may: The state of death and dying in NY is abhorrent. People die. It's a painful process for all involved. Why are there no local free standing hospice facilities? Rumors bound that they exist in he Western part of the state, but here in the Capital Region of NY, there is NOTHING.

So the Bob status. He's medicated heavily. He was seeing people that weren't there and pulling out his own hair. In a more comical moment, he "told off" the nurse that taped down his feeding tube (he had tried to pull it out). He can't speak, but his eyes cleared, his face became cross, and he made a very definite motion with his hand to say "Stop".

Moments like that kill MamaV's soul just a little.

Bend over and appease the insurance gods...

2009-02-23T17:16:00.002-05:00

Hi folks. MamaV is a little...erm...infuriated right now. We'll try to translate.

Bob can't stay in the hospital. Because he's not dying correctly. He's hanging on and comforting his family in spite of the fact that he's on little liquid and no nutrients. So the insurance company says he needs to leave the hospital. There's nice dumpster over behind the ER. Maybe that will suffice?

Actually,MamaV and Mama's Mama will bring Bob home. It's going to suck, because MamaV is NOT a very compassionate woman, but she's on Bob's side right now.

We also witnessed a touching moment today. Bob was alternately checking his wrist (Mama thinks he's checking his watch) and answering an invisible phone. But then he looked at MamaV. She thought it was the pink and purple shirt, but he grabbed her wrist in a death grip (the man has an insane amount of strength!) and pulled her closer. MamaV sat on the edge of the bed and he proceeded to touch her hair and face. It was touching, tender, and absolutely heartbreaking.

Update on MamaV

2009-02-21T06:07:00.003-05:00

MamaV is really, really stressed out. We know..."Duh". She's spent this week trying to work her full time job, take care of her kids (they were on school break), and spend time with her Mom and Dad. We think she really needs a nice vacation after all this. We also know it won't happen so we'll do our best to get her some soaping time.

Bob is on a constant morphine drip. Clinically, there's maybe 2 weeks left.

Stroke Rollercoaster Loops-the-loop

2009-02-18T06:15:00.003-05:00

After the elation of Sunday, things have taken a definite turn the other way. Bob was transferred to a rehab facility yesterday afternoon (2/17/2009) only to be shipped right back to the ER. A fresh bleed was discovered. Nobody knows when it started, but it's completed the damage of the original stroke.

MamaV is struggling to remember the man that loves camping and boating. The man that loved finding puppies and helping when someone was sad.

So please, if you have a chance today, please do something kind for another person.

Good News!

2009-02-16T05:46:00.002-05:00

Bob spoke yesterday (2/15/09). Mama cried like a little girl. We're not teasing her because it choked us up a little, too. Luckily, PapaV was there to step in for us. We think he's getting a lump of coal next Christmas and that would be nice.

So, massive stroke on 2/1, coma 2/2 - 2/4, ICU up to now with constant reminders from the neuro team that Bob would never speak, swallow. or recognize the family again. Bob is a tough old guy and we're pulling for him.

MamaV Downer

2009-02-13T05:34:00.002-05:00

MamaV tried to update yesterday, but doesn't quite grasp that it's not a dictation machine. Bless her heart.

The stroke rollercoaster was holding steady for a few days there. Not too hopeful, but not the despair of last week. It's dipping a little. Mama's Daddy (Bob) was gearing up to have his breathing tube removed so he could do all that work on his own. Then someone realized he kind of needed to keep the tube until a feeding tube could be surgically inserted. Duh. So it's been 2 days of limbo. But the added work that comes with breathing has meant the lucid moments are fewer and farther between. Maybe Bob just can't get the hang of Thursday. Mama had that issue for a while. Is that sort of thing genetic?

MamaV really appreciates the calls, cards, and kind words. She may choke up and make some strangled sounds, but she's really saying "Thank you".

MamaV is on a break

2009-02-10T06:14:00.004-05:00

Since the Mabee Farm festival, MamaV also did a WONDERFUL show with TightKnit.org. It was well run, well attended, and just a lot of fun. Mama has pictures somewhere, but we can't find them.

Right now, MamaV is dealing with a family issue. Mama's Daddy had a stroke. Mama is an only child (can you really blame them for not wanting more?). It's a roller coaster and not in the good vomit when it's over way.

Us elves are busy cleaning the soap shelves and ordering new supplies while she's distracted. If you see a bleary eyed woman driving a purple box around Schenectady, please just pull over and let her pass.

Mabbee Farm Report

2008-08-24T05:55:00.007-04:00

MamaV dragged herself home tired, beaten, and elated.

Mabee Farm is an old Dutch farm (the oldest standing home in the Mohawk Valley) that sits right on the Mohawk River. MamaV didn't take the tour, but she said "It's wicked cool!" Yes, she's a knuckle dragger.

Mama's Soap Tent overlooked the river and the skydivers. Sadly, we trusted Mama with the camera. Every time a skydiver landed (3 per plane, one plane each hour), MamaV would stand out in the field, jaw agape, looking skyward. Had it been raining, yes, she would have drowned.

This was MiniV's first excursion with Mama. As you can see, she had a little bit of fun. She crated the display and cheerfully greeted customers. When PapaV arrived to whisk her away, she asked to stay a little longer.

After they left, Mama was a little lonely. But, in the tradition of a kajillion animated movies, the Farm provided a little friend. Unfortunately, said friend wore out his welcome by pooping in Mama V's tent. NOW we finally understand why MamaV has hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and Lysol wipes. We're sorry we've called you a "paranoid clean freak" behind your back. MamaV did manage to snap a picture of her friend. He never told her his name. He just pooped and left.

It was a beautiful day in a beautiful setting. Mama sold soap and
made friends. The event organizer for a Downtown Schenectady function was very interested in having MamaV demonstrate making soap.

Is the world ready? Probably not.

Hiding (Again)

2008-08-21T19:59:00.003-04:00

MamaV has a craft fair this weekend. It's a charming little event over at the Mabee Farm in Rotterdam on the Mohawk River. It's outside. So MamaV needs to (finally) use the EZ Up that's been sitting in the back of the Soapmobile since July.

For those that haven't seen MamaV in action, she works alone. Setup, sales, and breakdown. All by herself. If you've ever set up an EZ Up, you know that it's a 2 (or more) person task.

MamaV has decided she's going to set it up alone. So, armed with a mudslide, Mama fearlessly traipsed outside. Our biggest regret is that the video camera's battery was dead.

Mama pushed, pulled, pinched, cussed, and slapped. Bless her heart, she got the thing standing. It wasn't right, but it was up.

Heaven help Mabee Farm!

Who's turn is it?

2008-08-05T09:02:00.005-04:00

Come on, 'fess up. We know that someone was supposed to be watching MamaV. Instead, we get home and she's holed up in the kitchen. Instead of the nice, sedate Vanilla Sandalwood (with a nice tan swirl), she's all over this aloe, vinegar, salt thing. While it sounds soothing, it is definitely NOT vanilla sandalwood.

So...who was watching her? Next thing you know, she'll be tapping the box of margaritas...Oops. Too late.

We're back. It's 8:20 PM and MamaV has finally passed out in her room with a mudslide.

Finally, we have proof. Proof that MamaV MUST NOT EVER BE LEFT TO HER OWN DEVICES!

*Caution - The following video is VERY, VERY disturbing. It's a grown woman talking to soap, for goodness sake!*

Liquid Soap Paste

2008-08-01T16:37:00.004-04:00

Oh, oh, oh, oh, OH!! MamaV is happy dancing around the room! Why? Well, remember a couple of days ago? We mentioned that MamaV had made liquid soap. Mama confided her terrifying nightmare - in her dream, she opened the cooler (after fighting off zombies), lifted out the crock pot, and still had oil.

She awoke screaming. OK, not screaming. But she gasped really, really hard.

So today, MamaV screwed up her courage and approached the soap cooler.

No zombies in sight. *phew* She opened the cooler, lifted out the crock, and...

Paste, glorious PASTE!! Sooo smooth! Such a screamingly sweet translucent color! Oh the rapture! MamaV now has 5 16 ounce baggies of paste languishing in the soap fridge (and one 14 ouncer - so cute, The Runt!).

Oh happy day!

Later, Mama may allow us to see the coffee bars. They smell heavenly.

Something's in the kitchen - it's making soap!

2008-07-31T05:50:00.004-04:00

Mama got her groove back. Yesterday, she made a list of 7 soap choices she wants in place by 9/1 with a wish list of 5 additional scents. Last night, she acted and finished one plus one not on either list.

Mama V's Soap List (as copied from her purple notepad):

Sandalwood Vanilla - White swirl of kaolin clay

Strawberry & Cream - Strawberries and cream in freezer, pink kaolin for color...Swirl?

Scrubby Vanilla Coffee

Frank & Myrrh - Silver mica swirl!!

Suger Plum - Alkanet?

Mandarin Bergamot

Beer Soap

Already, number 3 is crossed off. Mama chose to use leftover coffee from yesterday morning as the liquid. The entire house smelled of strong roasted coffee.

Then her eyes fell on the emergency coffee bean bag. She planted a row of whole fresh coffee beans into the mold. We're dying to see the final version!

The liquid soap took us all by surprise. Mama hadn't listed it. But MiniV is almost out of bubble bath, so we should have expected it.

We can't wait to see what this weekend brings!

Plotting

2008-07-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

MamaV has been wandering around with her notebook. Every few steps, she stops, sniffs the back page, and continues on. We're not sure what she's planning.

We also sent applications out for shows. We'll keep you posted.

MamaV Takes Schenectady

2008-06-22T06:12:00.005-04:00

Mama put on her "going out" frock and her fancy shoes and hit the town yesterday. She dragged MiniV to "Art on Lark" in Albany where MiniV trapped a platypus, then, they jaunted over to Strawberry Fest on Union in Schenectady, and finally, they made it to St. Anthony's Festa.

MamaV regrets she couldn't bring all her favorites folks to Festa, so she took this video to bring Festa to you. She was there early, so the crowds aren't at all bad.

Enjoy! Festa comes once a year. It's a weekend where stinky old white Italians are allowed to roam the streets with wine, beer, and squid. If you're not Italian, you leave that in the car. Everyone is family at Festa.

Thursday June 12, 2008...not a creative day

2008-06-12T06:25:00.004-04:00

Sorry, but MamaV has been working us half to death. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are some soaps...

We love the rows of soaps before their makeover. The scent is intoxicating.

Back after a brief interruption

2008-06-10T05:39:00.006-04:00

Sorry, folks. MamaV was on a roll there. She nailed the Old Iron Springs festival. It wasn't as cold and rainy as last year. In fact, it was quite the opposite. You know those instructions for solar cookers? They're really just a picture of the building MamaV and her fellow crafters were in. The oatmeal scrubbies were mushy. Ew.

Here's a pic of Mama's table. This was taken on the first day...Before Ghetto Banner.Around 3 PM, temperatures soared and business died off. That left Mama with time on her hands. For those that don't know MamaV, free time is BAD. Mama decided she needed a banner. So after the show closed (at 6 PM), Mama hopped into the soapmobile and found a towel and washcloth. Upon arriving home, she made dinner, bathed the youngest, and whipped up a banner. In the morning, she made a batch of soap and snapped a picture of GB.

MamaV knows it's silly and cheesy, but we all agree that MamaV is silly and cheesy. It's a perfect fit.

Somehow, all the pics of MamaV in her booth have disappeared from the camera. Either she snuck in and deleted them or she really is a supernatural being that can't be photographed.

Liquid Soap!

2008-05-14T21:12:00.004-04:00

Mama got an idea. We hate that. Mama wanted to try liquid soap. She's in the soap kitchen giggling happily right now. It involves the crock pot, goggles, stick blender, and a cooler. We're afraid.

This is what sent her into peals of laughter. We'll post more tomorrow. Now, we hide!

Gone Soaping

2008-04-25T06:35:00.002-04:00

Mama has been a little tornado of activity! She's been snapping pictures, lining soap molds, mixing oils, and sewing skirts. We suspect she'll skip work today to soap. And that's OK with us.

Mama needs to make a Strawberry Shea (that she's been paper soaping for a year now) and Lavender Vanilla.

That's all we know right now. We'll keep you posted!

Sooooo close!

2008-04-20T06:26:00.003-04:00

Mama is working on a Mother's Day Gift Set. Originally, it was supposed to be bath bombs but this happened. So Mama grabbed her trusty hammer and pulverived the bombed bombs into pretty, sparkly dust. Later that night, she escaped our watch and created matching bath salts. The two together are a fizzy, salty, sparkly, lavender delight! But a gift set has to be more than a hot bath. Mama took to the tub to ponder it and another light went on! So now Mama has all the components in her mind. She just has to get knitting. Yes, we're worried, too.

In the non soap world, Little William is still in the hospital but is doing well. Also, yesterday was Colin McCarty's memorial service. It was beautiful. Please remember that life is precious.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy News

2008-04-18T06:35:00.005-04:00

Little William is recovering. Thank you.

MamaV wants pictures on her blog. She's not sure what pictures she wants. She just wants pictures.

So this post is a picture test. I'm sure we'll look back at this post years from now and just roll our eyes.

This is the V Family cat. She's pretty but not very bright. In this picture, she was trying to get us to open the gate so she could leave the yard.

This is a picture of MamaV's craft fair setup. We hope it inspires Mama to get off her tushie and send in some applications today!

That was fun! Excuse us while we try to harass Mama into creating a picture tutorial of something...

Positive Vibes for William

2008-04-15T05:40:00.002-04:00

Today is William's surgery. 8:30 AM in Gainesville, FL. He's 3. Please send positive healing vibes his way.

Exciting Times!

2008-04-14T05:46:00.002-04:00

Mama is happy again. Yes, her bath bombs must not be discussed. We all have that rule down pat...but then she had an idea. Not one of her scary ideas. One of her logical, non-explosive ideas.

Mama took the beautifully scented and colored bath bomb powder and matched it to bath salts.

B-R-illiant!

Also, Mama's new light box should be here tomorrow. So RIP ghetto light box. You served Mama well but it's time to make way for professionalism. See, up until now, Mama has been using a beer box, spray painted white, covered in PapaV's old wife beater undershirts. It worked very well with the old camera but the new camera just couldn't handle ghetto light box.

Mama also wants to share a recipe with everyone. It's made using common ingredients that can be found around Schenectady.

MamaV's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

Ingredients:
* Queen Helene 100% Cocoa Butter 1 oz stick (found in Rite Aid near the other Queen Helene items but on the bottom shelf)
* 2 TBSP Coconut Oil (WalMart - in the salad oil row near the lard OR virgin coconut oil from the health food section at Hannaford. Price Chopper does not carry it.)

Instructions:
* Fill a large heavy bottomed pot with around 2 inches of water
* Place Cocoa Butter stick (can grate first for faster melting) and Coconut Oil in a Pyrex Measuring cup.
* Set measuring cup into the pot of water - do not get any water into the measuring cup
* Simmer water until everything melts
* Pour into mold of choice (the ice cube trays that make sticks of ice work really nicely!)
* Allow to cool

This recipe is really forgiving. It's also a great starting point for dabbling in lip balm!

MamaV says "Enjoy!"

Bombed Bombs

2008-04-13T07:19:00.002-04:00

Bath Bomb Poetry

Mama handles bath bomb
Bath bomb crumbles
Mama cries
Citric activates
Mama cleans mess

But it smelled awesome! Lavender Vanilla. Mama has promised to return to her small batches.

Bath Bombs, Lavender, and a Crash

2008-04-12T05:53:00.002-04:00

Just before dinner last night, Mama stood up with a crazy gleam in her eye. "Bath bombs" she announced and flounced off to the soap shack. We just looked at each other and sighed.

Mama has been working on a bath bomb recipe since last summer. Bath bombs are basically just baking soda, citric acid, and oil. What that list fails to mention is that they're fickle creatures. Too much oil and you end up with a warty mess. Not enough, and you have powder. Some days, the citric fizzes for no reason but others, it just sits there and refuses to fizz.

Mama's recipe incorporates cocoa butter. She's a bit of an addict when it comes to cocoa butter. But she also cleans the tub around here. So a cocoa butter ring around the tub is not an option.

So Mama measured out her ingredients, set the cocoa butter to melting, and all hell broke loose. The bath bomb pixies were buzzing low and loud. First, the bombs wouldn't mold. They kept breaking in half. Then, the citric set off. Finally, Mama jammed some bath bomb powder into a half round mold that was unfortunate enough to be standing nearby.

Her planned batch of 6 bath bombs may have yielded 4 half rounds. She's guarding those rounds like a dragon guarding her clutch of eggs.

Then, with that frame of mind, MiniV dropped the new laptop. You know, the one whose warrantee expired 32 days ago? Yes that one. But we're very proud of Mama. She stayed away from all power tools and calmly handled the situation. We're posting this by carrier pigeon.

All Clear!

2008-04-10T05:46:00.003-04:00

Phew!

We hate when Mama gets determined like that. But now the shack smells lovely. Now she just needs to make labels, package, photograph, and share the love. Ha! Like that'll happen anytime soon!

Mama V's In The Shower Lotion Bars have a great new shape! Remember when they'd snap in half 3 days before being used up? Not anymore. Mama was sick of fishing ITS Lotion Bar bits out of the drain so she set her brain on it and *bam*! New shape. Instead of a flat oval, why not do a half round dome? Brilliant.

Shhhh...still hiding

2008-04-05T05:38:00.002-04:00

We had a scary moment when Mama went for the cookies but managed to squish waaaaaayyyyy back. From our limited vantage point, it looks like there are bath bombs drying. As you all know, where there's bath bombs, soap is soon to follow!

This Weekend's Soapventures

2008-04-04T06:26:00.000-04:00

Mama is having a bit of a midlife crisis. Her 2nd Etsyversary is coming up and she hasn't listed anything new and exciting in a while. Also, due to her soap phone change (from a local number to a toll free number), her packaging is outdated.

This weekend, Mama is aching to use the new camera. But to do that, she needs to relabel existing stock. So we asked isn't it just easier to make new stock?

Mama tried to hurt us.

We ran away.

Now we're hiding but Mama appears to have ordered new labels...but they definitely won't be here for this weekend. But then we noticed that she had lined the soap molds and mixed some oxides with oil...definite signs of soaping. What will she make? Will there be new nekkid soaps on Etsy next week?

Is that the bath bomb mold we see?

As long as Mama doesn't look for us in the food closet, we'll be able to update as we see it...Plus we have cookies!

Welcome to MamaV's New Blog

2008-04-03T06:41:00.000-04:00

So MamaV was slowly warming to the old blog on TagWorld. No, she wasn't there every day but she tried to give that little page some love. Sadly, her love appears to have been the end of TagWorld. They're gone. When Mama tried to transfer her site over to the replacement, her spam blockers went crazy. So she decided to allow TagWorld to quietly fade into the internet ocean.

So to recap that blog, soap, bath bombs, birthdays, and dead friends.

Cheerful, no?

We'll start today with a bit about MamaV. Mama lives in Schenectady. Yes, it's a real place. She has a lovely husband (PapaV), and some really fun kids (TeenV and MiniV). She started her soapy journey when PapaV needed something for dry skin. They researched herbs and oils and came up with a nasty, stinky, pile of body butter. But it worked. Mama dabbled in butters and lotions for a long time. But her heart wasn't in it. But then, like a beam from above, Mama had the idea to add face melting chemicals and turn her pot of oils into soap.

A chorus of angels sounded and an obsession was born.