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TOOLS OF THE CHRISTMAS TRADE

I always have my gifts finished and wrapped (or bagged) LONG before now, but with working so many extra days since the end of October, I am so exhausted that I woke up Monday morning with the realization hitting me that Christmas was 2 WEEKS AWAY!!

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!

So today being my first day of 3 off in a row this week (!!!Hallelueha!!!) I am taking the time today to begin making the gifts for the women in my life. And wrapping/bagging them and all the other stuff.

Last night I got out all my goodies to make Bath Salts, and got it all done before bed.

Paraphenalia et al:



Glass jars to hold the scented salts:



So, on to today.......

Firstly, I spent my entire morning and then some in the kitchen making glycerine soaps. I put on my Christmas C.D.'s in the dining room and as I began getting everything ready and melting the glycerine, I looked out the window...... and to put me in an even more Christmassy mood it had just started to snow. It only snowed for about a half hour or less though, as Alberta weather can be fickle and this same picture 30 minutes later would have shown a very sunny, pretty day out there. The birds were out there singing too. Sheesh.




Front view, kinda hard for you to see just how fat those snowflakes really were though...




Now here's all the soap making stuff, or some of it at least. Glycerine, scented oils, soap colorants, soap molds etc.




Okay........ so I'm melting the glycerine in my soap making apparatus on the stove. Two old pieces I picked up, one of my Mom's old pots and a decrepit coffee perk I got for a song at a flea market. This makes up my "double boiler".



Melting glycerine chunks:



Suffice it to say I'm not showing pics of the finished products as there are certain peepses who read this blog and will be recieving some of these gifts. *grin*

Maybe after Christmas I'll post 'em.

ANYHOO...... this is what my tree still looked like this morning.....




And then about 7 hours later. All done!! Gift bagged or wrapped!



And what am I doing tonight? I'm POOPED. So I've got my nightie on and I'm puttin my boots up for the night.


Well........... okay,


I'm puttin' my MOOSES up. Hee hee.





Have a great week all, and please take good care of each other.

PEACE!

Love Jude