Porch Sitters

We spend alot of time on our screened porch--from morning coffee to schoolwork at the picnic table to drinks in the evening... The tin roof amplifies afternoon rain or Scotty the cat's ramblings as he chases something across the tin (he spends most of his time up there, away from the other cats, the dogs and the guineas that meander through our yard).

Joining us on the porch this week is our youngest daughter's newest pet, Tidbit. She "rescued" him from a 5 gallon water bucket in the barn where Chestnut (see post below) lives. Judging by how tough this bantam chick has turned out to be, I think that he was swimming in the bucket--not drowning as we thought... Tidbit loves to perch on the table while the girls do their math. He's also been known to sit on shoulders, in baskets and even to go to church...(just the birdhouse variety!)

We're working on a few new products: a soothing salve to match Amaretto Buzz Bar Soap (scented with vanilla & almond--YUM); a soft, dreamy floral as-yet-unnamed candle AND, because so many folks have requested it, a sandalwood patchouli candle. Check in at camptopisaw.com for more details!

Edie

New Fruit

The girls have been out all morning picking gummi fruit--incredibly sour and incredibly beautiful. We're planning to make jelly tomorrow, and hopefully, the finished product will be the same lovely color as the berries. The gummi bushes are growing by the chicken yard, so they've been well-fertilized and "landscaped" by the birds...







We had a swell time at Fest for All last weekend! The weather was perfect, the bands were fun, the crowd was plentiful and friendly. The artists were selling everything from soap and candles (guess who...) to handmade shoes to $3000 paintings. Here are links to some of our favorite artists/art:
Denise Greenwood
The Spoon Mill
Kathleen Bearden
Trish Ransom


This fine baby was born only 2 days ago! His mom, a beautiful Haflinger mare, belongs to good friends of ours, and they've allowed our daughters to name him. They tossed around name after name, but finally settled on Chestnut--a suitable name for a nut-colored colt. It's just amazing how quickly newly-born animals are up and about--Chestnut is already out in the pasture with his mom, investigating all the newness of life.


And speaking of new...we'll be adding some new (customer requested) products to our Camp Topisaw Website this month. If you have a request or suggestion, just email us! Here's a photo of our soaps to whet your appetite...













All the best,
Edie

Festival International

This past weekend we set up at Festival International in Lafayette, Louisiana. How is it that we've lived in this area for 12 years and have never made the 2.5 hour trek over before? This is an amazing event with bands from all over the world performing from noon until late in the evening. One of my favorite bands was "Monsieur No" from France--I liked the combination of accordian, fiddle, upright bass and silly costumes. Their website--monsieurno.com--is also loads of fun. So, we sold alot of soap (alot of soap...) and a good many candles and had a great time visiting with the other craftspeople and with our customers. Thanks to all of you who stopped by!

This next weekend (May 5 & 6) we'll be at Fest for All in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is the 30th anniversary of Fest for All--there are 3 stages of music, an entire boulevard of fine artists and craftsmen from 15 states (come see us in booth #56) and a great kid's area with performances by our daughters' favorite, Papillion. Baton Rouge is one of our favorite towns, with art savvy residents and an especially wonderful Thai restaurant--Thai Pepper on Florida Boulevard. The Saturday buffet is our favorite.

The bread for dinner is coming out of the oven, so I'm off...

Edie