Happy weekend =) Today the family and I are busy getting everything sorted into our new home. There is still a lot of work to do, but it’s slowly coming together. Last weekend was Lily’s 2nd birthday (post on that tomorrow), and it was great to start filling the new house with family memories.
In soapy news, the winners of this month’s Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge were announced. Bramble Berry gave the grand prize winners $100 each, and new fragrance oils for the runners up. Below is the grand prize winning soap, made by Teressa of Nourishing Handmade Body Care. I was blown away by the detail in these adorable mini dessert soaps. It’s hard to believe they are not edible! If you’re looking for more soapy inspiration, check out my favorite tweets, pins and ‘grams from the past week.
Left to right, clockwise:
- I love the fresh green color of this Cucumber Aloe Vera Soap by Riens Hnadmade Soap. The textured top makes it look so creamy!
- These Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles look awesome. I love adding pickles to salads, or having them for snack.
- Francois et Moi made this beautiful Pull Down Style Botanical Wall Hanging out of wrapping paper. It looks so professional, chic and classy.
- Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite veggies. This Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts looks right up my alley.
Instagram:
On Thursday, the tutorial for this American Flag soap went out via the Bramble Berry Newsletter. It took three tries until I was happy with the final soap…those layers were tricky! Click here to sign up for the newsletter to receive exclusive tutorials and information about new products and upcoming sales.
I made these lavender and lemongrass hot process bars for Soap Queen TV last week, and have been using them non-stop since. I can’t wait for you to see the video. On the right, Jamisen “helped” me make butterscotch cupcakes for Lily’s birthday. Look for the recipe tomorrow =)
Twitter:
- Facebook’s new “Critics’ Reviews,” will allow reviews on select restaurant pages in the US. I wonder how this will affect Yelp in the future.
- Speaking of food, this oatmeal hack could totally change your breakfast.
- This list of 25 Businesses You Can Start for Less than $100 is incredibly interesting. Also, soap making made the list!
- Contouring with face makeup seems to be all the rage right now. If you don’t have an hour for makeup in the morning, this 1-minute Contour Look is helpful.
- I don’t have a TV in my house, and this list of 10 Reasons You Should Stop Watching TV reaffirms my decision.
I hope you all have an fantastic weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Cindy Perrell says
I’m really confused.. LOL Did you and Chris buy another home or is this another
rental til your house is repaired? So confused! 🙂
Martina says
I was thinking the same thing! I hope you didn’t have to buy a whole new house!
Good luck to you in whatever you do!! 🙂
Anne-Marie Faiola says
Craziest thing ever: there was a house a block away in our neighborhood that was empty but not on the market. We loved the layout of the house so much that we bought it and will sell our house as soon as the remodels are done. We’re thrilled – and will be more so when the first house sells =)) Now I’m in the midst of moving, organizing, and managing a full construction project and insurance claim process. It’s been an exciting learning period for sure but we feel so lucky that our family is in the same neighborhood AND that we are starting to feel settled again. =) Thank you for asking!
Cindy Perrell says
That’s really wonderful Anne-Marie that you could stay in the same neighborhood! Sad that
you had to move, but the best thing is no one got hurt. And that your new home has more
of what you love. Build wonderful memories in your new home! Lily is so adorable!
Anne-Marie Faiola says
My Mom has been up all weekend and I swear, Lily gets even cuter when Grandma is around. She has been making us laugh soooo hard – even when she’s being a little stinker – because she is such a little sweetheart in spirit.
And yes, we feel lucky we were able to stay in the same neighborhood.
Suzanne Alexander says
Anne-Marie, I’m so happy that you and your beautiful family can finally start moving into your new home. I know the last few months can’t have been easy. Love the happy smiles on all your faces in the photo.
A Happy Belated 2nd Birthday to Lily! How fast they grow!
Congratulations to the winners of the Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge! Their creations are making me drool!!! They all look good enough to eat!
Anne-Marie Faiola says
Thank you Suzanne. We feel so fortunate to have found a home just a block away from our current home. We’re in the thick of things with moving, organizing and unpacking but already can feel things going back to ‘normal’ after the last few months of moving every few weeks. The birthday party was so fun. My favorite thing was when Lily saw all the decorations and said: “Birthday party. My house. Me?” and pointed to herself. =) Thank you for your comments and for always being so supportive.