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In Meet Someone New

The Soap Cake Company

I cross paths with a lot of different people in my job. And some of these people are busy doing neat things….like making soap, for instance.

I met Paul and Sandra way back when they bought a vacation property not far from from me and over the years they have become friends. They have since retired here and have turned their hands to many fun projects – like building the cutest chicken coop, gardening, making stained glass works of art and making soap.

But not just any soap. They have worked and tweaked and formulated their own secret recipe of goat’s milk soap and created The Soap Cake Company along with their best friend Christina. I love the twist on the name as in a cake of soap but also soap that looks like cake! And it’s selling like crazy! It helps that it is the cutest cupcake shaped soap and that they display it on a tiered display like you would a tier of edible cupcakes….and trust me, these look good enough to eat! They look so edible, they have to put stickers on them warning people that they really can’t take a bite!

What makes goat’s milks soap so great, you ask? Well, the high fat and cream content makes it perfect for moisturizing dry skin due to the winter or sensitive skin issues. The natural acids also act as an exfoliant to remove the dead skin, leaving your skin silky soft! Did I know any of that before I talked soap with Paul? No, I didn’t!

Besides the adorable cupcakes, they have also made their secret recipe into bars of soap. I love the look of the bars – to see the colours twist and blend together. Each scent has it’s own colour combination and I’m amazed at the number of scents they make, all with pure essential oils. There are several collections, including a floral collection, a lavender collection, a woodsy one, unscented and a patchouli collection. There’s more but my brain was on overload when I visited the workshop located above their garage last week! So much to take in and as I know nothing about soap making, it was all new!

They are always developing and trying their hand at new things to add to The Soap Cake Company and one of the more recent additions to their line is Macaron Bathbombs. Not only are they very pretty, they are great for moisturizing your skin. I can’t wait to try one out…just need to find a moment of peace to sneak off for a soak in the tub.

Hannah tried a bar of the soap in her most recent shower and when I asked her about it, she said it was amazing! When I headed off to the shower this morning, I grabbed my bar of Patchouli and Anise to see if I felt the same way….and I’m happy to report I felt squeaky clean and smelled so good! Lena tried out one of the macaron bath bombs and has silky skin to report! Success all around!

You can follow them HERE and HERE to keep up on the latest from The Soap Cake Company and if you want to add some to your Christmas shopping HERE is a list of the shops that carry their products. And stay tuned for a fun giveaway in the coming weeks!

Warmly,

Lori

PS I was given some product to try for free but the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

December 15, 2020 By lori@farmfreshstyle.ca

A Cat Tale – Monty

Is there a conventional way to acquire cats? The cats we’ve had seem to come into our lives in unusual ways. And Monty’s story isn’t any different. Here’s his tale of how he became our kitty.

I had seen a momma cat with some kittens at the end of the road a few times late last summer. We were talking about getting a kitten and so I asked the lady whose house I spotted them by if that family of cats belonged to her. She feeds the stray cats in the area but lays no claim to them so she said if I could catch any, they are free for the taking.

Well, on one of the hardest days of my life, here the kittens appear in the ditch, clamoring over big rocks left from a recent paving job. I hopped out of the car and into the ditch and managed to grab one little kitten and almost a second one but he/she slipped away too fast.

Once back in the car, I handed Hannah the little kitten. He is scared and alone and away from his kitty family for the first time ever. But he snuggles in and settles down pretty quickly, thankfully. { Have you ever driven around with a cat flipping out in the car?? }

Hannah decided to name him Monty. We have a list of names for lambs, pets, or whatever unnamed animal comes into our life, so she picked one from the list. Of course he gets nick names. Mont-mont, Monters, Mont-man, we sing him the Batman song, replacing Batman with Mont-man. Na na na na na na na na na na na Mont-man!!

He was probably 6-7 weeks when we rescued him from that ditch. He’s was a fiesty little guy so we kept him in a dog crate so he wouldn’t get lost in the house and so he could get used to using the litter box. He was so little he could barely make it up the stairs!! But he quickly found his way into our hearts.

One of his favourite things to do is attack your legs as you innocently walk by. For no good reason he would pounce and dig his little kitty claws into your flesh. He has now pretty much grown out of that, although he can still put up a good fight if he thinks you deserve it…

He is a big snuggler. He loves to sit on your chest, with his face rubbing against your face, his front paws on your shoulders. His purr is loud and you know he loves you. He also doesn’t mind being carried like a baby and if he’s feeling mellow and not feisty, he’ll rest a soft paw gently on your face. And like a dog { we think he thinks he is a dog by times } he greets you very happily at the door when you get home from anywhere!!

We have discovered he loves the outdoors but given how close we are to the road here, we keep him inside. However, on our recent trip to the valley, we bought him a cat harness { we had ordered one online but he was way too big for it!! } and now he loves going for walks and cries to go outside for a good part of the day. If he isn’t crying to go outside, he’s waiting by the door for someone to accidentally let him out or he’s hanging out in the front window making noises at the birds in the yard, with his tail whipping aggressively!

Monty sleeps in his crate at night, I’ve tried to sleep with him a few times but he doesn’t like to let you get any sleep, he prefers to play, pounce, purr and just be a general pain. I wish he’s just curl up and settle in and maybe when he gets a little older he will? Who knows!!

I’m always amazed at the personality of cats. He definitely has his own! He likes naps on the kitchen table and now laying on his harness. He loves water and can be found in the tub or kitchen sink, leaving little wet foot prints across the floor when he’s done. He has a favourite toy named Lambie which he carried around even though it was as big as him when he first got it. It’s the cutest thing to watch him wrestle Lambie!!

We decided to start an Instagram account for him and it’s been fun to update that every now and again. He’s such a handsome boy in his tuxedo! You can follow along HERE. He’s handle comes from a nickname that the babysitter’s husband called all the kids that graced their doorway – Bad Cats….although I’d have to say that Monty really is a bad cat….

We are very thankful for our ditch kitten and even though there are times we threaten to take him back to said ditch, our lives would be very empty without him!

Warmly,

Lori

August 5, 2020 By lori@farmfreshstyle.ca

2 In Country Life/ Meet Someone New

Hairy Neighbours

Just down the road a few kilometres, there is a farm. On this farm, there are Highland Beef Cows and they are my favourite. They are just so hairy and photogenic that I can’t resist them! Normally, they aren’t out by the road, where we can see them, but a couple of times a year they are moved into this pasture right alongside the road and it makes me quite joyful.

When I drove by and saw the herd in this field, I quickly stopped and snapped a few pictures on my phone so I would at least have one picture. But then time allowed me an extra window of about 20 minutes one day and so I grabbed my camera and headed down the road.

I talked about the farm HERE, way back when they won Woodlot Owners of the Year and we spend a big chuck of our day there. Umm, look how little the girls were?!?!?!?

Now, I want to say that I used a lens that allowed me to stay on my side of the fence, with a ditch between us. I don’t know these cows and these cows don’t know me and when there are babies, some mommas get fiercely protective and I wasn’t about to cross any lines with this cows…..they have horns….and having grown up on a dairy farm, I knew better.

Anyway, let’s move on to how adorable they are, shall we?

And my favourite one…

They are just so shaggy. I’m not sure how they navigate life…they need their bangs trimmed! I’ll just be over here trying to convince the handsome Mr. Byrne that I need one or two or five…..

Colourfully yours,

Lori

April 23, 2019 By lori@farmfreshstyle.ca

In Adventures/ Meet Someone New

My Internet Friend

One of the benefits of social media is connecting with people. It’s about keeping in touch with people from across the globe, whether it’s family or friends. It’s about finding people who have similar interests and connecting with them. And it can be so random.

Somehow my Instagram path crossed with a lovely gal named Terrie. I’m not even sure how it happened. We started following each other and commenting on each other’s posts and stories. Pretty typical, actually, right? Terrie remembers something about the fact that we prefer our eggs in a cake or of the Cadbury variety – we bonded over our love of sugary treats.

Then I posted about a magazine I had purchased at our local Sobeys – The Farmhouse Movement. And she just asked where I got my copy. But not knowing which stores out in Saskatchewan carried it, I offered to grab a copy for her if there was one left at our store. And there was one left. Which meant I had to ask her for her address.

I think now is a good time to talk about internet safety. Don’t ask for random people’s address. It’s creepy. Don’t give your address to strangers online. It’s common sense, right? Wellll – I asked. I had a magazine to get into her hands, right? Here’s the conversation….

And that started what is a treasure of a friendship. I still haven’t met Terrie. We talk all the time. All the time. We have conversations happening on Instagram, Messenger and Pinterest. { and in case you don’t get the Brad Paisley reference, HERE is the song! You’re welcome!! 😉 }

There are not too many people who offer to meet your parents on their cross-country trip if you haven’t even personally met yet! But she did and they did and here’s the proof. I was super jealous that Mom and Dad got to meet Terrie but not me.

I did google flight prices though. And my friend Mary-Beth offered her Ontario home to be our meeting spot if we decide to ever do that. What great friends I have in this life, eh?

It’s funny how one thinks that Canadian is Canadian and we eat the same things and know basically the same stuff. Not the case as I’ve learned. Terrie has introduced me to Puff Wheat Cake, which I had never heard of and I told her what Blundstones were. I also blew her mind when I told her George Canyon was from here in Pictou County and that his real name is Fred Lays. That’s what friends do for each other.

The other thing friends do for each other is support their creative endeavors so if you went over to Terrie’s FB business page and gave her a follow, that would be swell. The link is HERE and thanks in advance!!

I’m going to share her Puff Wheat Cake recipe here when I get the ingredients on hand again and remember to take pictures. They are a tasty treat and since they have cereal in them, they cooooould be considered breakfast food 😉

Tell me, have you made any friends in an unconventional way?

To be continued,

Lori

November 7, 2018 By lori@farmfreshstyle.ca

In Adventures/ Make Something/ Meet Someone New

Fibre Share – Part 1

I love taking part in a good swap and connecting with fellow creatives. So, when I heard about the Fibre Share, it peaked my interest. I checked it out and decided I wanted in. I signed up. And then the panic set in…

What had I done? I’m not yarn guru. I have no idea what the difference between Aran or Worsted or what different styles of looms or needles are called. I’m clueless!! But I was also committed. So – I buckled up and waited for my partners.

With the Fibre Share swap, you get two partners. One partner who you are sending a package to and the other partner who is sending you a package. The only requirement is that the package has 200g of fibre in it. And you can also sign up for domestic or international – so you have some control over where you are shipping your package to.

Waiting to find out who your partners are is tough. You have committed to the swapping, and then you wait. Meanwhile, there is lots of conversation on the FB group so you are getting a feel for the group and some of the members. Now, there are over 2400 { I think that’s what I read – I went back to double check and couldn’t find it!! } people taking part in the swap this go-round from ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!!

Finally, I got my partners. Both ladies are in the US, and on Instagram so they were easy to stalk. And clearly, they are both creatives. And thankfully they both do weavings in similar styles to what I do. Phew!! I was so relieved, I have to admit. I had fears about getting someone who was a weaver on a big floor loom or some kind of knitting pro and they’d get stuck with little ole me!! Beginner weaver me. But I think I’m going to be ok. 😉

Because I sent my package off to Kentucky, I wanted to include some classic East Coast goodies. Maple something-or-other, clearly the yarn will come from some of our sweet local yarn shops, and I ordered a few specially made goodies, too – but I can’t say too much yet, my package hasn’t arrived yet!

I snapped this picture to send to Brittany as a tease, in Black & White so she doesn’t know what colours they are, of course!!

Then I started wrapping. It was like Christmas, I had lost the tape before I even had anything wrapped…but I did find it again.

Once I had everything wrapped, I tried to fit it in the box I had saved just for this reason…..and it’s way too small!!!

So, I had to find a bigger box, package it up and ship it off! I sure hope Brittany likes it all! I can’t wait to share ALL the treasures I tucked inside the package! But that won’t be until I know she’s received it! In the meantime, go check out her Etsy shop and Instagram, I know you’ll enjoy all her weavings! And check out the Instagram account of the lady who is sending some goodies my way, too, you can find it HERE.

Have you done a swap before? Did you deem it a success or a flop? I’ve done a few different ones now, but I think this may be my favourite!

To be continued,

Lori

June 26, 2018 By lori@farmfreshstyle.ca

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