Knock..Knock...Anyone still there?

Knock..Knock...Anyone still there? So I've received emails from a few of you asking if I was okay. I really appreciate the concern, but I am doing great, just not stamping at the moment. I haven't made a card in forever! I still haven't gotten rid of my stuff though. I fully intend to get back to stamping one of these days.

When I kind of lost my stamping mojo, I picked up a few new hobbies with all of my free time. One of them is actually making soap! I would have never in a million years guessed I'd be making my own soap, but I'm so glad I did! It all started because I was trying to figure out why my hair was so dry. I haven't dyed it in years, I don't blow dry it and I hardly ever use a flat iron. So that left shampoo/conditioner. My shampoo was drying out my hair. Did you know the first ingredient in shampoo, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate is the same cleansing agent used in garage floor cleaner and engine block cleaner? Not only that, but it's a skin irritant, and some believe a potential carcinogen. This is really bad stuff. You really should look into this. There is a ton of info online about it. I had no idea. So I decided I was going to do something about it. I started researching alternatives and discovered a lot of people use shampoo bars to wash their hair. It's just a bar of soap, but formulated for the hair. So I ordered the supplies, did a ton of research on what oils are good for the hair and got to work. My first batch wasn't quite moisturizing enough, but from that point on they have been wonderful! You don't even need conditioner! My hair is softer than ever, and I get way less frizz and flyaways now. I am totally amazed! I will NEVER use shampoo ever again. Everyone that has tried them loves them. My skin is so moisturized too. I used to have a little bit of eczema, but it's long gone I'm actually planning on starting my own online business sometime, hopefully soon. Right now I am awaiting an order for the supplies to make mineral makeup. You would not believe the horrible ingredients in your makeup. Type toxic makeup in on google you will be blown away. Did you know that the over 80% of ingredients in makeup have never even been tested? A lot of the chemicals cause birth defects and cancer in lab rats. I sure don't want to take a chance. I highly recommend a book called Toxic Beauty by Samuel S. Epstein. It's quite an eyeopener. For some odd reason, this book is selling on amazon for $900, but it's list price is $24.95. I can't find anyone that actually sells it though (for under $900 that is, lol), but I was able to read a good bit of it on google books LINK. Oh, and there is a great website called cosmetic database where you can search for your makeup or it's ingredients and see how toxic it is. Seriously, I really think everyone needs to know about this stuff. Please look it to it. Haven't you ever wondered why cancer rates and birth defects have increased SOOO much? I honestly believe cosmetics deserve a lot of the blame. It's not just cosmetics either. There are even bad chemicals in the things your children are using, like baby oil for one thing. Check out this study done by the Environmental Working Groups on Phthalates, Not to Pretty (it's a PDF). THIS is a link to a list of toxic ingredients that you should avoid.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post a little update and let you know I'm still kicking. I honestly don't know if I'll be posting cards again, but who knows. Thanks so much for all of the comments and the emails! And seriously, please take a few moments to read about the chemicals that you are using on your bodies everyday. You can find products that don't contain this stuff.