Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Packing Up Nana

Nana, the Italian Greyhound,  is an acrylic painting on 9 x 12 canvas.  I am donating Nana to the Advocacy Center in Rochester, NY for their annual silent auction fund raiser on June 4th.  "The Advocacy Center provides consumer-driven services to support people with disabilities and their families in achieving their goals"

My relationship with the advocacy center stems from participation in the NYS Partners in Policymaking program.  It is a grassroots leadership program for people with disabilities and their caregivers to learn how to effectively influence positive changes in policies that impact quality of life concerns.

I am very proud to make a contribution from my artwork to the Advocacy Center.  Proceeds from the silent auction help to support the Center's mission.  It's hoped Nana will reap a generous donation for this very important and worthy cause.

You can find Nana on products at my Dogs 4 U Zazzle store.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Foam Soap

When I was a kid, I would watch my mother make homemade bar soap.  I thought it was fascinating watching the liquid ingredients solidify.  She had a recipe that caused the bar soap to float in the bath water.  My mother would say, it floats like Ivory soap but her soap was a 100 times better!  I'm smiling as I write this because she felt proud at turning out batches of bar soap as her mother before her.  Today, homemade artisan bar soap we purchase at upscale retailers and art/craft shows is a special and luxurious treat.

I'm not sure if my mother's motivation was to save money or the simple joy of creating things by hand.  I do know my mother watched and helped my grandmother make many things by hand as a child growing up during the great depression.  Growing up and living on a farm, my mother was more fortunate than most during that difficult time  People who grew up during the depression tend to be a thirty bunch.  They had to learn to make do and do without.  Either way, my mother's influence of making things by hand, being arty and crafty stems from her.  Thanks, mom!


I love foam soap.  I also enjoy saving money in this tight economy.  To stretch the dollar and liquid soap, I make my own foamy soap for kitchen and bath.  All you need to make the foam soap is a pump used for making the soap foam and this little, easy peazy "recipe".  It's not much really.  I used recycled foam soap dispensers, my favorite liquid soap and cold water.



In a measuring cup, add 1/3 cup of liquid soap and enough cold water to make one cup.  Gently stir.  Pour the mixture into your foam soap dispenser and you're ready to go.  You can do this for Dawn kitchen dish washing liquid using the Dawn foam pump.  Using recycled 2 liter bottles, I make enough foam soap for kitchen and bath to have in reserve.  All I need to do, is refill my dispensers when I need it.

Now you don't have to hunt for the foam soap refill and save money in the bargain.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Practical Artful Gifts

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Endangered Species Artwork

My Dogs