“Happy girls are the prettiest.” — Audrey Hepburn

Ah, isn’t that the truth? I recently was reminded that beauty fades but smart is forever. I’m hoping that happiness is forever too! I just started reading a new book about parenting, “All Joy and No Fun.” I tried to convince my book club to read it but they’re all about fiction right now (we just finished Eleanor & Park; highly recommend). So, I’m reading the book on my own and marveling at how universal the struggle of parenthood is.

It’s no secret that moving from one child to two children is like moving from one to a herd, a passel, a gaggle and a mutiny. There is so so little sleep, so little productive work around the house (I’m pretty sure my car has a kiwi that molded under the front seat 2 months ago that I haven’t had the time to go find), and no time to sit and marvel at the miracle your toddlers are because you’re too busy chasing after them.

And then, something like this happens and it gives me just the slightest lift; enough to grin and bear it for one more day:

And yes, that is a screenshot from my Instagram account. Because we all know, if it didn’t make social media, it didn’t happen.

Three cheers for the weekend; maybe this will be the weekend I actually find that molded kiwi in the car. (pause) Meh, who am I kidding? This is the weekend that I will be a train conductor, engage in crawling races, build forts from pillows and use the vacuum 1466 times to clean up after “Look who just learned to eat solids” Lily. Here’s to a weekend full of joy …

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What You’ll Need:

For the cherries

6 oz. ClearMelt & Pour base

Perfect Red Color Block

Medium 9 Ball Silicone Mold

For the cake

46 oz. White Melt & Pour base

12 mL Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil

5 ml Buttercream & Snickerdoodle Fragrance Oil

7 mL Creamsicle Cybilla Fragrance Oil

Ultramarine Violet Color Block

Tangerine Wow Color Block

5 mL Vanilla Color Stabilizer

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold

For the frosting

8 oz. White Melt & Pour Base

2 oz. Liquid Castile Soap Base

3 mL Buttercream & Snickerdoodle Fragrance Oil

3 mL Vanilla Color Stabilizer

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

Part One: Make the Cherries

ONE: Cut 6 oz. of Clear Melt & Pour into small cubes and put into a heat-safe container. You can also cut up the Perfect Red color block and add them to the cubes. Color blocks are WYSIWYG, so add more of the block for a darker color. Note: The Perfect Red color block is a non-bleeding color. That’s important for this design. Not sure what “Non-Bleeding” means? We have you covered here with an explanation.

TWO: Melt the soap on 30 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Once the soap chunks are fully melted and the colorant is incorporated, pour into the silicone mold.

THREE: Spray the soaps with isopropyl alcohol and allow to sit for 1 – 2 hours before unmolding.

Part Two: Make the Cake

ONE: Cut and melt 12 oz. of White Melt & Pour base in a heat safe container. Heat the soap on 30 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Shave off chunks of the Ultraviolet Color Block and add into the mixture until you reach your desired color. Add 4 mL of Hungarian Lavender essential oil and stir until the oil and color have been fully incorporated into the soap.

TWO: Pour the lavender soap into the loaf mold and spray liberally with isopropyl alcohol.

THREE: Allow the soap to form a thick skin on top but remain soft enough so that you can push a dent into it with your finger. Using an object with a blunt end, make grooves in the soap from end to end. We used the end of a paint brush to make three grooves. Use a clean up tool to tidy up the grooves or any soap that ended up on the sides of the mold.

FOUR: Set the mold aside and start making the second layer. Cut and melt 8 oz. of White Melt & Pour base and add 5 mL of ButterCream & Snickerdoodle Fragrance oil. Because this oil contains vanillin — which discolors soap — add 5 mL of Vanilla Color Stabilizer to keep the soap white. It’s important to do the layers quickly one right after another as soon as the first layer is hardened to give the layers the best chance of adhering to one another.

FIVE: Spray the purple layer with isopropyl alcohol, and then pour the white layer. Be sure the lavender soap has hardened to the point where the white soap wont break through.

SIX Once the white layer has solidified but not fully hardened, use the same technique as before to make grooves in the white soap.

SEVEN: Cut and melt 12 oz. of White Melt & Pour base in a heat safe container. Heat the soap on 30 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Shave off chunks of the Tangerine Wow color block and add into the mixture until you reach your desired color. Add 7 mL of Creamsicle Cybilla fragrance oil and stir until the oil and color have been fully incorporated into the soap.

EIGHT: Spray the white layer with isopropyl alcohol, and then pour the orange layer. Be sure the white soap has hardened to the point where the orange soap wont break through.

NINE: Cut and melt 14 oz. of White Melt & Pour base in a heat safe container. Heat the soap on 30 second bursts, stirring between each heat. Shave off chunks of the Ultramarine Violet color block and add into the mixture until you reach your desired color. Add 8 mL of Hungarian Lavender essential oil and stir until the oil and color have been fully incorporated into the soap.

TEN: Spray the orange layer with isopropyl alcohol, and then pour the lavender layer. Be sure the orange soap has hardened to the point where the lavender soap wont break through.

Part Three: Make the Frosting

 ONE: Cut and melt 8 oz. of White Melt & Pour base. Pour into a larger container, and then add 2 oz. of Liquid Castille Soap Base. 

 TWO: Add 3 mL of Buttercream & Snickerdoodle fragrance oil. Because this oil contains vanillin — which discolors soap — add 3 mL of Vanilla Color Stabilizer to keep the frosting white.

THREE: Whip the ingredients together with a hand mixer. Start out on medium, and turn up the speed to high after one minute. Mix until the frosting forms peaks.

Tip: This mixture will foam up and grow very quickly! Spray with a  bit of isopropyl alcohol as you mix to keep it from flowing over the sides of the container.

FOUR: Use a spatula to quickly frost the top of the soap.

FIVE: Wait a few minutes for the frosting to firm up before placing the cherries.

Finish off with a little iridescent glitter on top and you’ve got yourself a soap that looks good enough to eat!

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Favorite Pins

Left: Need a fun indoor activity? Check out this awesome homemade microwave puffy paint. It’s just flour, baking powder, salt and food coloring so it’s super easy to clean up too!

Top right: If you’re craving a little snack, yogurt is a great option. It’s healthy and delicious, so it’s the perfect pick-me-up between meals. This homemade yogurt is a less expensive alternative to store-bought brands, and it’s easier than you may think to make.

Middle: If you’re not familiar with Design Seeds yet, you should be. This fresh color palette is just one of hundreds on their site, and we use it all the time when we’re looking for color themes for our soaps. The best part is you can choose by color or by theme, so it’s a great way to find the perfect combination of colors for your next soaping project.

Bottom: Who needs Legos when you can make your own Velcro Popsicle Stick Shapes? These are a great educational toy too because you can practice making shapes and letters with your toddler.

Favorite Vines

We have been soaping up a storm these past few weeks (fitting it all in before baby’s arrival), and we have plenty of Vines to share with you all. Below are some clips of a Strawberries & Cream soap made with real strawberry puree and heavy cream.

We must have been on a foodie kick; here is a sneak peek at our beer soap.

We unmolded it a day later and were thrilled with the results.Want more Vines? We also made a beautiful beeswax soap, got colorful with a Dreamcatcher soap, and went for round 2 with the carrot and cucumber puree soap.

Favorite Tweets

• Baby Lily has arrived!
• Hungry for Soap Guild 2013 updates? Our guest bloggers have been filling us in on successful, soapy weekend. 
• If you have kids, you’ll definitely be able to relate to this!
• Don’t be discouraged; be persistent!
• Yet another virtue of exercise: evidence suggests working out reduces breast cancer risk.

What a whirlwind past few weeks it’s been. Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone and take a moment to reflect on why Monday is a holiday. My Dad served in the Air Force and my Grandpa fought in the South Pacific in World War II. I’m thankful for their sacrifices and that of all of our armed services.

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