I love being busy and productive.  I think sometimes it makes Nick a little bit crazy, but for the most part, I can’t just sit still.  For instance, when I sit down to enjoy some primetime television, I’m always also knitting, working on my computer, doing craft project(s), or something.  I can’t just sit and stare at the TV.  It makes me completely bananas to not be doing something with my hands.

I think I’ve mentioned here that I’ve started teaching some knitting classes at my local yarn shop.  It’s fun and I’m beginning to feel more confident in my teaching, designing, and knitting abilities.  I recently helped a friend at the shop come up with a “Charlie Brown” sweater (I’m knitting one along with her and I just started knitting the sleeves onto mine) and I also designed a sock that I’m going to be teaching a class on later this month.

As if that’s not enough, I’ve also been helping some friends and contacts with some web design and development.  I recently helped a friend launch his new Internet talk-radio network, and I’m really excited to see how that grows.

AND…

I’m starting a home-based business, and it’s probably not what you’re expecting!  Not knitting, not anything computer-related.  Nope.  I’ve started making soap.

For the most part, up to this point, I haven’t technically been making soap.  I’ve been using premade melt and pour (MP) soap, adding color and fragrance, and pouring it into decorative molds.  However, I also recently got all the supplies and equipment I need to start doing cold process (CP) soaps “from scratch”.  These soaps are all-natural, and in most cases are all vegetable-based (vegan-friendly).  Unlike soaps you buy at the store, they do not contain any petroleum by-products.  They’re safer and gentler on your skin and kinder to the environment.  I’ve also started developing different fragrance blends that will be unique to my line of soaps, so that’s another fun selling-point.

Anyway, it pretty much happened by accident: I wanted to make some cute soaps for Christmas gifts this year.  I’ve been really big on the idea of making a lot of handmade things for the holidays, and I thought that soapmaking would be something I could try in addition to my knitting.  I quickly found out that it was really, really fun!  When I showed what I’d done to some friends, they were interested in purchasing some from me to give away as gifts too.  My initial thought at that point was that I should probably check into some of the legalities of selling things like this (taxes and such) just in case — ’cause I’m that type of girl and “Murphy’s Law” always applies to me.

So I started doing research on the Internet and I wound up making an appointment with the local small business development center.  They were incredibly helpful in walking me through the steps, and now I’m in the process of writing a business-plan and financial documents.  Though I’m not seeking any loans to finance this little venture, they still advise taking these steps to “get things in perspective” and focus your efforts.  My eyes were really opened and now I’m even more excited about this opportunity than I was initially.

I’ve started Monkey Bubble Soaps online where I’ll be selling my soaps (right now you can go there to sign up for the e-mail newsletter and be notified when the shop opens).  I’m also planning to get to a few local craft fairs and such.

I don’t expect this to be a career or even a significant source of income.  I’m just hoping it will be something fun that will also earn us a little extra money that we can squirrel away for a rainy day.  Plus, I also see it as an interesting and fun learning experience.  My ultimate goal later in my life is to own my own business (though not a soap-business) and I see this as a baby-step toward that.  There’s less initial investment so I’m not taking on that much risk, but at the same time I’m learning about all the processes involved in creating and maintaining a business.  It’s fascinating, honestly, and everyday I work on this (along with all my knitting projects, freelance work, etc.) I feel even more energized and just plain alive.  It’s an exciting time in our lives — there’s so much opportunity and I really feel like I’m finally wrapping my arms around it and embracing it rather than letting it slip past me.

Also… I had good news a couple days ago: I got a raise at work!  Of course, more money is always nice (especially in tuff economic times like this), but it also was a great affirmation that they’re happy with my work.  It’s just all-around been an awesome past few weeks!

I’m feeling quite domestic (ha ha).  Last night, I made my first attempt at making home made jam…

My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother have always been talented when it came to canning things and making jellies and jams.  I grew up watching them make it, but till now I’d never had any interest in trying it myself.

I discovered wild blackberries growing in the field next to our apartment.  The bushes were just loaded with berries, and over the last week they’ve ripened from bright red to a rich, dark purplish-black.

I had no idea how to go about making these berries into jam.  I knew I needed to get jars, and some sort of “stuff” (Sure-Jell fruit pectin, it turns out) to make it thicken.  Thank goodness for the Internet, and mom’s phone number on speed-dial!

I made a small batch — eight half-pints worth — and it actually appears to have set up  properly!  I’m hoping to get a chance to make homemade biscuits this weekend because there are few things tastier than warm biscuits with sweet, fresh jam on them.  Mmmm!

Now I’m thinking about making some blackberry pie, if I can collect enough berries.  I’m also thinking about trying to get some strawberries to make jam with too!

Nick and I decided to go check out the Tennessee Renaissance Festival this past Sunday.  You can see some pictures that I took in the gallery here.  Unfortunately, after a run out to the car to put away our umbrella and drop off some things, I left my camera there.  So I didn’t get to take as many photos as I’d like.

We watched the joust and the live chess tournament.  We also got to tour Castle Gwynn.  We ate lots of great food — giant turkey legs, roasted German pecans — yum!  And I got to buy a pretty sterling silver Celtic knot ring to remember our fun day.

Well, Dennis requested an update, so…

Things here are going well. Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 26.  I had a pretty quiet birthday.  I got to sleep in (yay!) and my friend Erica treated me to a late-lunch in the afternoon.  Then we did some shopping.  Nick had to work part of the day but brought home a frozen-custard cake from Ritter’s for me!  It was yummy.

I got some lovely gifts for my birthday, and lots of birthday-money too.  I’m putting all my birthday money toward the spinning wheel that I’m hoping to buy soon.  (I have this idea in my head that I want to spend my summer on our back patio spinning yarn and sipping lemonade… sounds heavenly to me!)

I’ve been doing lots and lots of knitting lately (you can read details about that on my knitting blog).  On Saturday I even helped with a sock knitting workshop at my local yarn shop.  It was a lot of fun.

Nick has been keeping busy at work.  He’s been spending a lot of free time playing video games — he’s currently hooked on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.  He’s also thinking about buying a new (used?) vehicle soon.  I think we’re going to get rid of the Neon and he’s thinking he’d like to get a Jeep Cherokee.  I have my reservations, being that we have too many cars as it is, and I just want him to pick out something dependable that he won’t want to tinker with too much.  And I know him and Jeeps… ha ha.

Nashville weather has been completely wonky this winter — 70 degrees one day and 30 the next.  We haven’t made any trips up north this winter though, so we haven’t really seen snow.  We get occasional snowflakes here but nothing that actually accumulates.  It’s been very strange going for a whole year without seeing snow drifts.  I’m hoping spring is around the corner though — I’m more than ready!