Growing Anatolian Shepherd, LGD, puppies!

The puppies continue to be such a source of enjoyment.  They are growing so fast, every day they learn something new.   And, they're always hungry!  These little guys are eating a lot of kibble!

Getting the last drop!

They can now climb over the wood barrier in the door of the doghouse.  They are falling off the porch to the doghouse which is where we feed them, and as of today, they can climb back up on their own, however, with much difficulty.  (This was written several days ago, now they're jumping, running, and tugging at everything!)

Mommy and Boy Blue

Isn't this a picture of pure love and adoration?   These puppies are the sweetest pups, they love to be held and cuddled, but at the same time, they're learning to sound ferocious!  We put down some water for them after they ate the other day, and just like that, they were lapping water!  Amazing!  

Toppy is a wonderful mother, she is so patient with them climbing all over her while at the same time wrestling with their littermates.  

A beautiful Anatolian Shepherd pup!

Carpe Diem!

Puppies First Feeding!

Little Pink Lady Diving Right In!

Wow, my first experience beginning the weaning process with puppies.  I actually thought it would be a tedious process getting them to like real food.  Boy, was I ever wrong!  They dove in like hungry vultures!  This was her first time tasting solid food, and, truly, they would have fallen asleep in the pan if we didn't pull them.

Little Boys Turq and Blue! 

Here's two more getting their belly full.  Mama Toppy has her hands full cleaning them up when finished, it's all over their feet and legs, and bellies!

Little Boys Lt Green and Silver!

These pictures are of day one, today is day two, and they were barking and growling at each other while eating, and after they were placed back in their dog house.  I'm going to try to take a video next time so you can hear them scrapping!  It's almost scary, I'm curious how they will be when they're actually old enough to cause some damage!



Carpe Diem!

LGD Puppies!

Toppy's Seven Puppies!

We sexed the pups the other day and put colored collars on them so we can begin to tell them apart.  Toppy gave us mostly all boys this time.  I took this picture today to document their twelfth day.  They're growing so fast, and they're so chubby!  Too cute.

I am excited for their eyes and ears to open, then they'll start playing and learning so fast.  Toppy is a great mom, she feeds them whenever they start complaining, she keeps them and the dog house clean, and I noticed today that she's now placed them on the straw, as opposed to on the bare floor when they were born.

They're scheduled to be wormed the end of this week, and the Vet, our partner in this enterprise, will get his first live look at them.  I'm interested in his opinion of how they're doing since this is my first experience at raising puppies.

Boy Puppy 2 weeks old!

All in all, so far it has been a fun learning experience, and I'm looking forward to watching them grow.




Carpe Diem!

LGD - Anatolian Shepherd Puppies!

Toppy's 7 puppies!

Yesterday Toppy presented us with seven Anatolian Shepherd Puppies!  We are so excited we could just burst.  All puppies and mama appear to be doing very well.  We haven't checked on how many males and/or females there are yet, but will very soon.

What a good mama Toppy is!

These pups will be raised by Mama Toppy and Aunti Kehli in the pasture with both cows and sheep, and also chickens.   They are quite noisy already, I think we're going to have our hands full in a few weeks.

Another new adventure, more learning opportunities, life is good.  Stay tuned!

1,2,3,4,5,6,7, All good Puppies go to Heaven!

Carpe Diem!

Scuppernong Sparkle Goat Milk Soap!

Scuppernong Sparkle Goat Milk Soap!

A customer asked me several weeks ago if I had a Muscadine scented soap.  I hadn't heard of or seen that fragrance before, but she let me take a sniff of her Muscadine soap, and it was lovely.  So I set out on a search for the fragrance.  Here it is, and I do love the fragrance.

Everything seems to be turning out yellow or golden for me these days, I used green, yellow, and black oxides, and this is what I got.  Hopefully it will change a little bit as it cures.  Tomorrow I unmold and slice!

Scuppernong Sparkle Goat Milk Soap!

Okay, next day, unmolded and sliced, ready to set aside to cure for five or six weeks.  Then trimming, stamping, wrapping, labeling and pricing will occur.  Notice how the color changed during saponification and gel phase.  I was worried it was going to be yellow or golden, but, magically it turned the color I wanted.  Good surprises are great!




Carpe Diem!

Green Tea and Jasmine Goat Milk Soap!

Green Tea and Jasmine Goat Milk Soap!

I used to make a green tea soap when I first started soaping.  The recipe used Melt and Pour Glycerine soap, and the fragrance was a huge customer favorite.  I have been wanting to transfer the green tea and fragrance to a good cold process soap recipe.

Well, I finally did it today, yay me!  Right now, immediately after pouring, it looks very yellow, I'm hoping it goes back to the yellow-green color it's supposed to be, but it does smell divine!

This recipe has green tea extract and is colored with wheatgrass powder, and of course, topped with dried green tea leaves.  It should be a winner if all goes well.

Green Tea and Jasmine Goat Milk Soap!

Well, here it is, unmolded and sliced ready to place on the shelf to cure for six weeks.  I'm loving the fragrance that's coming from this batch, it's divine!  The color is a bit yellow for green tea color, but it's greener than the photos show.  Next step is to trim, stamp, and wrap, after it cures, of course!



Carpe Diem!

Lavender Blossom Goat Milk Soap!

Lavender Blossom Goat Milk Soap!

I've been making a bit of soap lately, it's one of my passions, so it's a good thing!  This one went well, I used three colors and did an in-the-pot-swirl method, I'll know tomorrow how it turned out.

It's made with my standard Goat milk Soap recipe and used two natural colors of light and darker lavender.

If you've never used goat milk soap, just give it one try, and I don't think you'll ever go back to commercial soap.  What a difference for your skin!

Lavender Blossom Goat Milk Soap!

I gotta say I'm not thrilled with the color of this soap, I need to remember the colors so I don't use them again for this purpose.  I used a lavender and a purple oxide and the lavender turned a very pale pink and the purple turned tan.  Go figure!  Like I said in a previous post, you never know how a soap is going to turn out when using new colors.  It's always a surprise.  But, and this is a big but, the Goat Milk Soap recipe is the same, and it's a luxurious soap to be sure.



Carpe Diem!

Coconut Lemongrass Goat Milk Soap!

da Lime in da Coconut Goat Milk Soap

I just made this one today, it's my reliable, creamy, wonderful goat milk soap recipe made with coconut and lime fragrance, with some green chrome oxide added to a small portion of the soap batter, then an 'in-the-pot-swirl' done just before the pour.

It smells divine, will be luxurious to use, and is so good for your skin!  It contains olive oil pomace, cocoa butter, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, and palm oil.  Of course, the fresh goat milk is what makes this soap so wonderful.

Well, I cut this soap and something was wrong, the center of the entire loaf appeared to be wet. After doing some research, it seemed that the soap had lye pockets.  It means that some of the lye had not mixed with the oils to make soap.  I still don't know exactly why that happened, it appeared to be fully mixed when making the soap.

So, I left it to dry for a couple weeks, then decided to re-batch it to be sure no one had any bad reactions.  I proceeded to shred the entire 5 pounds, added distilled water, cooked it up on the stove top and used a stick blender to smooth out the lumps, then poured it again.  I sliced it up the following day and was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful light green color, and the luxuriously soft feel of the soap.  Some of the fragrance was cooked away during this process, but for the most part, it's a whole lot better than having to throw away an entire batch of soap.

Coconut Lemongrass Goat Milk Soap!

So, whoever asked about 'Da Lime in Da Coconut' Coconut Soap, this is the Goat Milk Soap version, and as close as I'm going to get to it for now.  Trust me, it's a much better soap for your skin than the coconut soap version!  Soap is almost always made from a combination of oils, the coconut oil soap is made from just one oil, coconut oil.  On the soap charts, coconut oil is one of the most cleansing of the oils, which means it can strip your skin unless you have excessively oily skin, in which case, it would be great for you.  Goat Milk Soap is such a moisturizing and creamy soap, and is wonderful as a gentle cleanser, even for your face.

This one will be available for purchase in a couple weeks.  Hope to see you at the Market on November 10th, and December 8th!  Or, you can email me, private message me on Facebook, or text me if you would like to order some soap or any of our skincare products.

Coconut Lemongrass Goat Milk Soap!

So, here it is, cured, trimmed up, and stamped, ready to be wrapped and labeled.  This is my first attempt at re-batching, and I'm very happy that it went so well.  I recommend the process of re-batching if your soap doesn't turn out as expected. 




Carpe Diem!

Toppy!

Toppy (left) making friends with Kehli

Toppy came to live with us about three weeks ago, a shy and timid 4-year-old pregnant Anatolian Shepherd.  She has progressed from walking on a leash around the pasture with Kehli and spending the rest of her time in a 12' x 16' pen to walking freely around the pasture with us whilst romping with Kehli and checking out the sheep and cows as she goes. 

Right now she is lounging in the sun outside her open door pen enjoying the knowledge that she can take a run (or a poop) whenever she wants.  Something else she seems to love to do is to roll in the cow and/or sheep paddies, which I find to be extremely unpleasant.  It's very hard to pet the head of a dog covered in stinky waste!  But, she is such a sweet girl that I can't resist, hopefully, she'll outgrow the need to become one with nature. 

She's expecting, as I mentioned before, and we believe her delivery time to be around Thanksgiving.  This will be our first adventure with babies, other than human ones, and we're hoping things go without a hitch.  This will be a new and challenging adventure that I am looking forward to eagerly.



Carpe Diem

Peppered Cedarwood Goat Milk Soap!

Peppered Cedarwood GMS!

So, who doesn't love handmade, all natural, Goat Milk Soap?  I don't know of anyone.  Today I decided to use my new 5-pound mold from Brambleberry and to use a new essential oil, Black Pepper.  The combination of the black pepper and cedarwood essential oils is simply delightful!  It smells like your favorite spa.

I can't wait to unmold and slice it up with my new acrylic soap slicer custom made for me by Alex Kelly from Custom Soap Stamps store on Etsy.  He does beautiful work and makes lovely soaping tools at a great value.  His customer service rocks too!  

Multi Pass-Thur Cutter Wire Soap Bar Cutter 

Isn't it pretty?  I can't wait to use it tomorrow when I unmold the 5-pound loaf of Peppered Cedarwood Goat Milk Soap.  Isn't it absolutely fascinating what makes some people happy?

Peppered Cedarwood Goat Milk Soap!

Carpe Diem

TURMERIC CLAY FACE MASK!

TURMERIC CLAY FACE MASK

Turmeric is a plant of the ginger family, and is usually used in dry powder form. Its commonly added to dishes like curry and has been used in Chinese medicine for years. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is an anti-oxidant and is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.  This Turmeric Clay Face Mask recipe harnesses the properties of this powerful spice, along with luxurious ingredients like carrot seed essential oil and carrot extract and kaolin clay.

CARROT SEED ESSENTIAL OIL

Carrot Seed Essential Oil is simply the best oil for pampering! It is rich in carotene and Vitamin A, making it a great addition to lotions and creams for the appearance of refreshed and more youthful looking skin.  They’re a great way to get creative and give your skin a fresh start for the Fall season!

KAOLIN CLAY

This clay is most commonly used in mineral cosmetics, but can also be used in a wide variety of bath and body products. This natural clay is perfect for sensitive skin.  It helps to cleanse and exfoliate debris and skin cells from the surface of the skin.  As the clay in the mask dries it “soaks” up the skins natural oils and anything clogging the pores and draws it to the surface.  

TURMERIC CLAY FACE MASK

So, there you have it, another great product for you to try, while your skin gets better and better with time!


Carpe Diem!

TURMERIC & GINGER SUGAR SCRUB!

TURMERIC & GINGER SUGAR SCRUB

This Turmeric & Ginger Scrub contains turmeric powder, ginger essential oil, olive oil, and baby mild liquid castile soap, and of course, sugar. 

TURMERIC POWDER

Turmeric is a plant of the ginger family, and it’s used to create turmeric powder. The bright yellow powder is used as a culinary spice, which is one of many applications including cosmetics and fabric dyes. Turmeric powder has become increasingly popular in the beauty industry in skin and hair care in recent years because it is thought to be beneficial in these applications.

GINGER ROOT

The ginger essential oil smells just like freshly cut ginger.  Ginger is said to contain around 40 antioxidant properties that prevent free radical damage and protect against aging. It also evens skin tone and is thought to improve elasticity.

The scrub is made with sugar which has a medium amount of scrub that’s great for the face and body, but with the turmeric and ginger additives, it might be too harsh for your face so go slowly at first with a small test spot. The addition of olive oil provides moisturizing properties, while the liquid castile soap makes sure the scrub washes away cleanly. If the liquid soap were not included in this recipe, there could be some staining from the turmeric.

TURMERIC & GINGER SUGAR SCRUB

So, if you're looking for something to help bring in the wonderful Fall weather, having this scrub in the shower with you just might do the trick!


Carpe Diem!

A Surprise Calf!

Nutmeg, our surprise calf!

So, as we've mentioned many times before, we are greenies to anything having to do with farming, animal husbandry, you name it, well, except for chickens,  We have had chickens at various times in our lives and are quite familiar with poultry husbandry.  Other than that, green we are...

With that said, when we went out scouting for our first cows, we didn't know much other than what we read as we tried to educate ourselves a bit.  I found first a Jersey heifer, a breed I had desired to own since childhood.  We found her, brought her home, and she has been a delight ever since.  Her personality is wonderfully sweet and playful.  Her face is just adorable.  Next, I decided I needed a Belted Galloway, I was drawn to the stark contrast of their coat and found her also close by.  We went to see her, and she looked beautiful to me, and I wanted her.  Apparently, she had bonded with a Guernsey cow who lived there also, and the owner insisted that if we wanted the Belted Galloway, we must also purchase the Guernsey cow.  I really didn't want her, but since I wasn't aware of any other Belteds available nearby, we agreed to purchase them both.  We were told that they both had been exposed to a Brahma bull, and could be pregnant.  With our general luck, I didn't give it much thought, except that Bill kept saying that she, Ginger the Guernsey, looked big enough to be pregnant.  They both looked big to me!

Well, around the middle of August or so, we noticed her udder looking different than before, we thought, but I wasn't sure whether or not I had even noticed her udder before.  Then, out of the blue, on September 11th, out in the middle of the pasture, Bill saw a little tan baby calf jumping and scampering all around.  What a wonderful surprise it was!  

Isn't he a little charmer?

We thought of naming him something reflecting his day of birth, such as Patriot, or Justice, but instead, we decided to carry on his mama's name theme.  We're not sure just what we want to do with this special gift, but I'm sure we'll decide on whatever seems to be best for him and us.  Perhaps we'll sell him to another hobby farmer much like ourselves.  But, we have plenty of time to decide.  For now, we will enjoy watching this little miracle grow.



Carpe Diem!

RASPBERRY JAM SALT SCRUB!

Exfoliation is key to maintaining smooth skin. It removes oil and dead skin, which allows moisturizer to absorb more easily.

The exfoliant you choose depends on your recipe. Fine exfoliants work well for the face and large exfoliants work well for the body, especially dry areas like elbows and feet.  It’s also based on personal preference – the best way to find out what you like is to experiment.  Here is one wonderful exfoliant that you can begin your experiments with as you gain great looking skin.

RASPBERRY JAM SALT SCRUB

Pink Himalayan Salt is hand-mined from ancient salt beds within the Himalayan Mountains. They have been protected from pollution and impurities since their formation thousands of years ago.  Pink Himalayan salt is believed to be the purest form of salt available. This salt is known for it's stimulating and soothing properties.

BEET ROOT POWDER

Beet Root Powder is full of vitamins, and folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron and vitamin C.  Applying Beet Root Powder to your skin regularly will help to slough off dead cells, making your skin soft and supple.  

RASPBERRY SEED OIL

Raspberry Seed Oil is packed with essential fatty acids. When applied, it feels lightweight and absorbs quickly.  This oil is high in vitamin A and essential fatty acids, both key ingredients in skin care. Linoleic, alpha linolenic, and oleic acids all help protect, while replenishing moisture. The oil also contains vitamin E, which helps to condition and plump your skin.

POPPY SEEDS

Poppy Seeds are commonly used in exfoliants and scrubs, they create a delightful visual addition to your products.  Linolenic acid present in poppy seeds is very useful in treating eczema.  Poppy Seeds contain some niacin and folate, but they are a better source of minerals. Just 1 teaspoon provides measurable amounts of calcium, iron and zinc.  You may not get much of these nutrients when used in a scrub, but they do make it look very nice. 

RASPBERRY JAM FRAGRANCE

Last, but not at all the least, is the inclusion of Raspberry Jam Fragrance Oil.  It smells divine, why not make this scrub your midnight snack and make your skin look glowingly healthy at the same time!

RASPBERRY JAM SALT SCRUB

Carpe Diem!

BLUEBERRY JAM SUGAR BODY SCRUB!

BLUEBERRY JAM SUGAR BODY SCRUB

Let me begin this post by saying that this scrub smells so good you may want to eat it on a slice of toast!  But don't, it's much better used on your legs, feet, elbows, or anywhere else on your body where you may have dry skin, caloused or flaky skin.  It's full of beautiful ingredients.  I invite you to come and take a look at them with me if you will...

SUGAR AND SUGAR CANE

Sugar, regular fine sugar.  A benefit to using sugar vs salt is that sugar has small granules which are generally gentler on the skin than salt granules.  Salt granules can cause microscopic tears in the skin.  Another good reason to use sugar is that because of sugar's natural humectant properties, scrubs made with sugar are more hydrating than scrubs that are made with salt, which can strip skin of natural oils.

JOJOBA BEADS

Jojoba beads, they are made from jojoba oil, and are made in a smooth round bead of varying sizes for different uses.  As they are manipulated on the skin, they dissolve leaving your skin hydrated and moisturized from the jojoba oil itself.

POTASSIUM COCOATE

Potassium Cocoate is the potassium salt of coconut fatty acid.  It's an all natural liquid surfactant made from 100% whole coconut oil and potassium hydroxide. Because of the flash foaming properties of potassium cocoate this product is great for use in liquid soaps, shampoos, and scrubs. This product contains glycerin as a natural moisturizer.

FRACTIONATED COCONUT OIL

Fractionated Coconut Oil is a liquid oil derived from Coconut Oil. It oil is comprised of short chain fatty acids, and is extremely stable with an almost indefinite shelf life. This can be used in products such as lotions, balms and massage oils. It is a light, penetrating oil, wonderful for handmade moisturizing products as it doesn't leave that greasy feeling. It is also a great carrier for essential oils.

BLUEBERRY JAM SUGAR BODY SCRUB

Be good to yourself, be good to your body!  Take care of yourself so you can take care of others!

Carpe Diem!

CLEANSING CHARCOAL FACE SCRUB!

CLEANSING CHARCOAL FACE SCRUB

I came across this recipe a short time ago and was very impressed with the ingredients involved.  First of all, the base of this scrub calls for a liquid castille soap.  I chose to use Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild liquid castile soap for this one, which makes it very gentle on sensitive skin.

DR BRONNER'S CASTILE SOAP

The oils in this scrub include Hazelnut Oil and Tamanu Oil.  The benefits of hazelnut oil are that it absorbs easily into to the skin when applied topically and it may help correct oily skin. It is a mild astringent that can help tighten pores and regulate the excretion of oils by the skin. 

HAZELNUT OIL

Tamanu oil benefits extend to a wide range of natural treatments for acne and acne scars, eczema, psoriasis, stretch marks, age spots, skin rashes, general scarring, dermatitis and anti-aging. 

TAMANU OIL

White kaolin clay is widely used in cosmetics today, and is considered to be an excellent cleanser and exfoliater.  It helps to remove impurities by drawing excess sebum from the skin. When mixed with water it also can draw toxins from your skin.  White kaolin clay is the gentlest of the clays and thus great for sensitive and dry skin.

KAOLIN CLAY

Jojoba beads, in this formulation, work as a gentle exfoliater.  The jojoba beads are made from jojoba oil; it is solidified into perfectly round circular beads. When they're massaged onto the skin, they dissolve as they are manipulated. The benefit of this is that they're all natural and they're not abrasive to your skin.  The jojoba oil itself is considered to be one of the best oils for moisturizing skin   Jojoba Oil contains many essential fatty acids, powerful antioxidants and vitamins.  Jojoba Oil is naturally gentle and non-irritating, making it perfect for basically every skin type; it balances oily skin, soothes sensitive skin, hydrates dry skin and is said to help heal acne and breakouts.

JOJOBA BEADS

Activated charcoal is the obvious ingredient in this scrub, and it's purpose is to draw out bacteria, poisons, chemicals, dirt and other micro-particles by bringing them to the surface of the skin, thereby helping you to achieve a flawless complexion and fight acne. Charcoal is not metabolized or absorbed by the body.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Tea Tree Oil is a popular choice for treating acne because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It's thought to calm redness, swelling, and inflammation. It may even help to prevent and reduce acne scars. 

TEA TREE OIL

So, I present to you a choice whether or not you desire to give this new product a try.  I have used it, my skin is aging and I have large pores, and I do like it.  I wouldn't use it for my skin more than once or twice a month, but I do believe it may help someone dealing with oily skin and perhaps dealing with acne or scarring from previous acne breakouts.  I personally like the idea of giving my skin a super cleansing treatment once in a while.

CHARCOAL SCRUB

Carpe Diem!