Blackberry Kumquat?

What is life without creativity? If I weren't constantly thinking about creating something, I'd go stark raving insane I think. It is a blessing....I think. There are moments when it can be quite bothersome too. Like, when I am supposed to be thinking about my job (yes, I work outside the home too). Sometimes, I have difficulty staying focused on my job because my mind is too busy creating some new thought or project. Frustrating at times.

But, beyond that, I love what I do and I really love my latest creative project. It is a heavenly scented soap called "Blackberry Kumquat". An odd mix? I thought so too at first. I spend hours and sometimes days comparing fragrance combinations to come up with the right thing. When I discovered this combo, I thought, "No way!" I tested it, having others take a whiff and give me their response. It was a unanimous "WOW! I want some of that!"

So, I took the fragrance and added it to my latest cold process soap formula, combining colors and fragrances until I came up with what I have sitting on my table where I make my soap, curing for the next several weeks. My family can even smell this from another room. My daughter said, "Mom, save a bar for me. I want to smell like the house smells right now. It smells sooooo good!"

Blackberries are quite common where I live. The berries are amazingly sweet but you have to get past the thorns to get to them. Kumquats are not native to where I live but I am very familiar with them. When I was a kid I lived in California and one of my friends had kumquats in their yard. She invited me over to her house one day to eat kumquats. I didn't know what a kumquat was but decided that she wouldn't lead me astray. A very interesting fruit, the kumquat. It is quite small, maybe the size of a key lime, but very orangy citrusy. Has a tangy/sour fruit center, but the skin is actually sweet...yes, you eat the skin too. Quite an odd little fruit, but the fragrance is sooo good.

When I found a fragrance oil that had kumquat, I had to give it a try.

The colors are a bit odd too....just like the soap. Swirled purple and marigold. I added calendula blossoms to the soap as well, so there is a sprinkling of calendula through and a calendula blossom topping. It matches with the marigold color and contrasts nicely with the purple.

Just in case you aren't familiar with calendula, it is another name for marigold. Marigold has wonderful healthful properties that has been used in folk medicine for....well, a really long time.

I will be taking pictures shortly. The soap should be ready just in time for Easter. Check out my pics by then. I wish I could let you take a whiff of this stuff. Ahhhh, but for now, it is for me to enjoy and for you to imagine!