Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

Hi everyone

I thought I would introduce myself since I have been reading around the forum for about a week now...

My name is Ly and I am originally from Luxembourg, but have settled down in Fife, Scotland...

I decided a few weeks ago to make my own creams and body butters as I am disgusted with the amount of products that are tested on animals. I have been making a few things but the one I am most satisfied with is the one I made last night: Shea Body Butter (from the recipes section) ...  :woohoo: ... It's maybe a bit hard so can't wait to give it another try to get the texture just right.

Will also be trying some MP soaps this weekend so will let you know how I get on.  If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear from you.

Ciao for Niao!
Ly.

hi Ly, you may want to add a bit of coconut oil to the shea butter fractionated is good, it won't  be so hard then, but it is a case of just playing around to see what suits you.

I will give that a try :) Thanks for the suggestion

Hello Ly,

Lovely area Fife (one of the best bits is Luvians in Cupar!!) - I spent 4 years travelling back and forth when Child was at St. Andrews.

Not many MPers about ATM (everyone trying soap seems to be making CP or HP) - before you have a try checkout the article I did on the effects of botanicals in MP soaps.
http://www.fresholi.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=230&Itemid=51

You can put all sorts of stuff into MP - I've tried powdered goatsmilk, honey, beeswax, aloe vera, olive oil, various butters and solid oils, botanicals, fruit powders,oatmeal and other exfoliants.

Try with just 100g if you're adding any of the above and try about 5 - 10% but less for botanicals and exfoliants.

There's lots of info in resources and everyone's very friendly.

Hi Ly, welcome to the board. there's a lot of info here, you'll be a whiz in no time!

Hi Ly....enjoy! xx

Hello Ly  :hi:

A really warm welcome from me  ;D  Some of your experiments sound very interesting indeed.  Mai's right, add more oil (fluid oil) to your butter will soften it.  You could melt your finished butter down and add the oil to it (just make sure you make notes so when you get it right, you can repeat it  ;)).

Elaine is queen of M&P and there isn't much she can't help with this.  She has created some of the most interesting soaps using this method.  The only probelm with the link she gave is that is registered to 'Special' so is only accessible to 'Authors'.  You are currently 'Registered' but if you look on 'Guests....  What's Hidden' board & 'Acquiring Author Status' at the top end of the main board, you will see the different ways you could become an author (you'll get access to many more resources then Ly  ;)).

I hope you enjoy it here, there are lots of lovely people with such a mix of skills, it is very inspirational indeed.

Glad you joined us, its great to have you here  :)

Helen

Sorry Ly - but if you want to use herbs or dried flowers do a test run (or ask) as many do weird things, rose petals and lavender flowers go a yukky khaki!

Hi all,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome... that put a big smile on my face  ;D !

I know, Elaine, Luvians in Cupar is just great.  :) Both me and my husband went to St And., so I am quite pleased that we ended up here...  thanks also for the % tips, I will keep that in mind... I have dried some orange peels and powdered them last night...I'm wondering whether I should add these...

Helen, regarding experiments, I think I should write in my diary: "if you bother using fresh orange juice make sure you use the lotion quickly or else it goes mouldy"  :(

Thanks to all again for the lovely messages
 ;D

He he....  I had something yuckie happen to a banana cream and a bit of a disaster with blueberry juice (interesting indeed  :mwaha:). 

Jones and I were marooned in Luvians one afternoon during the week we had a holiday up there (graduation and steam rally by Aberdeen) as the heavens opened. Water in the road was level with the kerb stones in next to no time.

We were by the whisky shelves (where else??) and I remearked to the young gentlemen that it sounded as though the rain was inside - he replied that ther was a peculiar downspout in the area outside the whisky shelves.

"No", said I, "Look up by the Lagavulin - there's water dripping!"

Great panic as the investment whiskies were ranged along the top shelves.

Re the orange peel - I don't think I've tried that; use 3 or 4g in 100g of base and see what it looks like after a week, some colour changes can take a day or two or three. If you're putting it in a clear base add some calendula petals - they'll provide good colour.

When you're adding bits to MP you need to stir gently until it's near to thin jelly looking then pour (otherwise the bits sink or float depending on their weight).

Welcome Ly.  Hope you enjoy it here too.  :hi:

Hi Ly  :hi:
Glad you came to join us. Have you made your M&P soap yet? Do share!
Look forward to chatting to you.
Corrie

I'm waiting for Chrissie to pop in and spot Ly's guineapig pic - do you have many Ly?

That's just what I thought when I saw the piggie  :mwaha: 

Welcome Ly and lovely piggy :)  I was a bit slow there wasn't I?  Normally I can spot a pig a mile off.......how many do you have? (sorrry if I sound excited but I LOVE piggies :yipee:)

My speciality is making skincare products for guineas so if you would like some samples, just let me know.

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas

I haven't had a chance to make the soap yet... I did look through the ingredients of BS's coconut oil hair shine this morning though and made my first attempt at coping it... didn't turn out too bad as far as I can tell...
 :)

Re guinea pigs, I have 5 of them... they have taken over my entire dining room and are busy eating away my money  ;) but they are just sooo cute!

I'll let you all know how the soap turns out when I get round to it...

 :mwaha:  Reading that it looked really funny...  the two photos look like two piggies having a chat... lol


Sounds great!  Have you clicked the Between Friends button in Fresholi Community yet?    ;)

Can't wait to here how the soaping goes.  If you have any recipes to share Ly, just email it to me (plus your status will change to author  ;))

Hi Chrissie,

I know I am the same... got so excited when I saw your piggy the other day! And then last night I made the connection between you and the website people mentioned on one of the guinea pig forums I visited a while ago  ;D

I have 5 guineas now... I had guinea pigs when I grew up so when my husband and I moved into a house with garden I thought "right, let's get some guinea pigs". Initially we wanted to keep them in the garden as my husband wasn't so keen on them... but then he fell in love with the first one he picked up in the pet shop and now they have the entire dining room to themselves...

So where do you and he eat now?  :D

I forgot to ask, how come you live in the UK now Ly?  Can't be the weather  :mwaha:

I did see the "between friends" section... which gave me the idea (so thank you  ;D ) I'll email you about the coconut oil hair shine once I had a chance to properly test it... I think it is quite good but then again I am new at this so just pleased with anything that look and feels ok-ish

Chrissie, from you signature I take it that you have 8 guineas? Do you have a picture gallery for them? Love looking at guinea pigs pictures... Also could you remind me of your website's URL?

It's certainly not the weather... it's been raining all day  :(

I studied in St Andrews and met my husband there (he's originally from Perthshire)... After uni I moved to London as he had bought a flat there but got quite fed up with city life so we moved back up three years ago....

We are reduced to eating at the coffee table in the living room  ;D but have our breakfast in the dining room watching live guinea pig tv

Yes, I do have 8 very gorgeous guineas, some of which are here:

http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/kathleen.htm (http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/kathleen.htm)

I've just got a new camera so once I figure out how to use it there will be some more recent pigtures available.  Breakfast watching pig TV is great fun :haha:  My babies do things that make me laugh every day!

Here is the link to my website:
http://www.gorgeousguineas.com (http://www.gorgeousguineas.com)  Most of the pigtures on the website are of my own piggies either present or departed.

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas

Ah....  A bit like big bro' or Merkat Manor  ;)

I just noticed...  Chrissie...  (Should I ask??) Did you not have.... errr....  9 GP's?   :-\

When were you at St. A Ly?

Child was there 1998 - 2002, Mediaeval History (and the Mountaineering soc.).

(Served a second helping of chips to HRH in the Westport)

That's very observant of you Helen....yes I did have 9 but sadly sweet Butternut had to be helped on her way last month at the age of almost 6 :'( 

2007 has not been a good year for my piggies - lost 7, adopted 2, started off with 13 and now down to 8.  I can't complain though, because last year I only lost 1 piggy, and 2 the year before.  5 of my current piggies are getting on and are over 5 years old including the lovely Florence who is growing old disgracefully and celebrated her 8th birthday in October  :woohoo:

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas 

Oh Chrissie...  Sorry  :(  Bless her.  She was a good old age though and I'm sure she had just the most wonderfully pampered time in your keep.  She was having a few problems wasn't she.  Sorry again  :(










Huh!  Call that mingling with the rich and famous....  I, I'll have you know, bumped into Bill Maynard at my local Co-op when I was a kid (fetching some milk for my mum)  Now THAT is rubbing shoulders with the R&F  :mwaha:

Thanks Helen, it was very sad but it was time for her to go and be with Ice again.  Sadly he had to be helped on his way just a few weeks before Butternut, but they are together again in the same Pig Pot.

Despite their small size they each leave a big hole in my heart when they go :'(

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas

I can imagine  :(  I still miss my Sam (a dog I had throughout the majority of my childhood)   :)

HRH sent his minder over especially to say "Thankyou".

I like good manners  :)

Oh Chrissie, I'm sorry... It's always so hard!!!

Re Florence, wow!!! What an age!!! Never heard of a guinea pig that old!!!!

Absolutely loved your guinea pigs pictures... They are all so cute... Put the following together last night:

http://www.villatournesol.co.uk/ly/piglets.htm

 ;D

Elaine, I started uni in 1999 so was there at the same time  ;D Small world, small world.... I studied Anctient History btw... Never bumped into anybody famous though!  :(

Lovely piggies Ly :)  I have a soft spot for anything with golden colouring and you've got a couple of stunners there.  It's always nice to see happy, healthy piggies that are well cared for and kept indoors.

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas who are eating their breakfast

lol Ly, am loving the one in the hat, sooo cute  ;D
Never had any dealings with piggies, apart from being cute what is their appeal? Do they have personalities, interact with each other?
Just curious  :) (couldnt have one Ruisg (<---- over there) would kill it)

 :mwaha:  So cute!!  My kids just loved them,  A had a real giggle at the one in the hat (kestrel noticed that she had 'real lips' he, he)

Hi Ly!  I'm just up the road from you -- by Stirling.  And I'm an ex-pat, too.  Welcome to the forum.

Guinea pigs are just great animales... They each have their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes...

Some of them get on better with each other than others... Keleigh gets on really great with Chloe and follows her around everywhere... She's done that since she was a wee baby and sometimes Chloe gets a bit sick of that much attention...

Their cage it open so they can run around the dining room and the kitchen (although they never venture into the kitchen)... A couple of them also have a wee sniff around the hall if we leave the doors open, so you have to watch your feet! Two of them always find their way back to the cage no matter where we put them in the house... the other just crawl underneath something and wait for another guinea to show them the way back :)

Corrie, I love your dog!!! Such cute ears!!! Some dogs get on great with guinea pigs... My parents had one dog who absolutely loved guinea pigs... and then they had another one who loved chasing them... :( so I certainly wouldn't recommend dogs and guineas as you just never know...

Thanks all for the nice comments about my guinea pigs... I could listen and talk guinea pigs all day!

Hi Elizabeth; thanks for the warm welcome... Where are you from originally?

He, he...  You and Chrissie should make fine pals (although I love to hear about all these GP antics...  its like a real life soap  :mwaha:)

My kestrel's an ex-pat (American) so A always say's she's half and haff  :mwaha:

When you've got piggies you really don't need a TV - they could keep you amused all day.  They've also got the edge over most other "small furries" in that they are very vocal and can talk to you.....assuming you can understand guinea pig squeak :hi:

They also like routine and know exactly when breakfast and supper time should be and are very motivated by food.

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guineas