Updates! Q&A! Previews! Pictures!

Hello again everyone! It's time for another update! This update comes in three parts:

Part One!: Q&A

How are the orders coming?
We are more than halfway done, and orders continue to ship regularly throughout the week. Yay! We know it has been a crazy wait, and we are so grateful for how understanding all of you have been. We were blown away by your overwhelming support, and we continue to be blown away by your kindness. You guys are clearly some of the best people on earth.

Why the wait?
There are several factors. As you all know, we got an insane amount of orders. Around 200 orders were placed on the 28th alone, and the sale ran for a whole week! It takes a lot of time to fulfill so many orders, but it's clearly the most awesome problem we've ever had. :) When it comes to the orders individually, one package from start to finish can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. This is because we treat every package more like a present than an order. For example, our boxes start out looking like this...

...but they certainly don't end up that way. Not only is our soap handmade, but several elements of the packaging are handmade as well. We want you all to be able to feel the depth of our gratitude through every part of your order. So far, the feedback has been amazing, with a general consensus that it's worth the wait. [To read the comments from buyers who have received their orders, click here.] Then, of course, there is the unfortunate fact that we both have to continue working our day jobs during the process. We want to assure you, though, that every ounce of available time is going towards getting your orders out. :)

What can I expect with my order?
We're working with a goal of getting at least 35 orders out per week, and we've been hitting our mark or close to it the past few weeks. At this rate, we predict all orders should be out by the end of October. Of course, we know as well as anyone how life can throw a wrench in your plans, but we're confident we can make our goal! Anybody who hasn't received their order yet can also expect that we will take an extra step toward making it worth the wait.

Part Two!: Previews

Following on the heels of past updates, we want to give you all a little preview of the packaging process. We don't want to ruin the surprise though, so this time we're posting teaser photos:

Part Three!: Pictures

To finish this update, I'm posting some pretty pictures. Because they're just so damn pretty!

Health Watch 2011: Update

Remember when I was at a 3 on the Hyperbole and a Half Better Pain Scale and I said "Hopefully I'll slide all the way down to a zero really really soon"? Well, I guess that was a little premature!

So, I went to the doctor. She listened to my lungs, and then she said, "We're gonna need to take a chest x-ray." And I was like, "Seriously?" And she was like, "Yes." After she looked at it, she told me I didn't have pneumonia, which was weird because I didn't even know pneumonia was on the table. So instead of being relieved, I was just retroactively concerned about the past possibility that I might have worried about having pneumonia, you know? Anyway, it's bronchitis.

I woke up this morning with my antibiotics all cocky about not having pneumonia and got 7 packages out and then passed out from exhaustion. Tomorrow I'll go through all the messages I'm sure have built up while I've been possibly but not actually having pneumonia. As always, and even more now, I'm super grateful for your patience! You're all so awesome I wish I could be friends with each and every one of you.

The best update yet!

Every Monday through Saturday around 2:00pm, the mail flies in through the slot in the front door and crashes to the ground. And every day, no matter where she is in the house, my dog hauls ass to the front door to bark at this unwanted intruder. The past couple weeks, I've been hauling ass right behind her, excitedly awaiting one piece of mail in particular. Well, that piece of mail has come. Check it out:

Need a closer look?

Hell yes!

The loan is totally paid off! Look at that balance. $0.00! You can just see the weight that's been lifted off my mom's shoulders, and it is 100% because of you guys. I hope you all take the time to congratulate yourselves for being awesome, 'cause you are. 

[Note] In a P.S. I'm calling Health Watch 2011: I've been sick. On Hyperbole and a Half's better pain scale, I'm at about a three right now.

"3: This is distressing. I don't want this to be happening to me at all."

It's really been slowing me down, especially when I was closer to a seven ("7: I see Jesus coming for me and I'm scared."). Hopefully I'll slide all the way down to a zero really really soon ("0: Hi. I am not experiencing any pain at all. I don't know why I'm even here.") In the meantime, please forgive me for any delay in responding to messages and whatnot; I've either been unconscious or been wishing I was unconscious. In fact, I'm so out of it, it took me two hours to write this post.

Update #2!

Hello everyone! We're still hard at work getting all your soaps made, packaged and shipped. We're steadily getting through the massive number of orders, trying to make each one as good as it can possibly be. We have high standards for our products -- even more so after all you've done for us -- and if it's not good enough, we just don't send it until it is. In that spirit, today's update is: Soap Fails!, or Wow, I Totally Screwed That One Up!

Soaps with more than one element, like color or soap type, are at a much higher risk of failing than those with only one element. This is because the fusion of the two elements is necessary for creating one cohesive soap. If the first element is still liquid, the two elements will mix when you pour the second one, totally ruining the effect. That means the first element has to be at least partially set when you pour the second element, and that means you have to get the temperature of the second element just right when you pour it. If you don't, chaos ensues:

See? Utter chaos!

This is what happens when the second element (the green base) isn't hot enough. It wasn't able to melt the surface of the first element (the orange flower part) and fuse, leaving the two parts unattached to each other.

We might as well do away with all forms of organized government because this is anarchy.

This is what happens when the second element is way too hot. I actually ended up warping the mold on this one, as you can see from the bulges on the side and  the way the flower seems to be sinking into the base. You can also see that some of the green was able to seep down and cover part of the flower.

Left: A perfect mold with the flower part setting. Right: A shriveled, melted mess.

I call this one "Two Poppies: A Study in Failure."

The cameo soaps are also prone to failure. One reason is that the opaque layer has to be poured very carefully and very thinly, because the depressions in the mold that make up the rose and the border aren't very deep. Once I start to pour and the soap leaves the cup in a thin stream, it begins to set. So, if I don't pour in one continuous stream, when I do start pouring again the soap won't be hot enough to fuse with what I have already poured. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Two cameo soaps setting. Both seem perfectly fine at this point.

One of these soaps is a liar.

When it comes out well, it's fantastic:

A perfect dismount! 10!

Look how it's reflecting the light in little rays along the left side. It's like it knows it's pretty.

But when it doesn't, it's a disaster:

Somebody call FEMA, 'cause this soap is a disaster.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

So that's a glimpse into some of the failures we've experienced on the road to getting orders out. Next update: Packaging and Glamour Shots!

Our Big "Thank You!"

April’s Army, Regretsy readers, and friends—

There aren’t enough words in the English language to accurately express our gratitude. This has been a miraculous experience for us. We began the week feeling hopeful, but you all quickly showed us kindness, love and generosity far beyond anything we dared hope for. Your messages of support alone have brought such a light into our lives, and the money you’ve contributed is truly life-changing.

We want to thank the over 250 people who purchased something from our Etsy store. Every listing sold out, so thank you so much for your overwhelming support. We appreciate your patience with the delay as we work to complete and ship all your orders. (In the meantime, I’ll be posting periodically at katieandmarilyn.blogspot.com with pictures of the soap making/packaging/shipping process in order to keep everyone updated and involved, so check back there often.)

We must thank all the people who donated money through our blog as well. You very literally gave without asking anything in return, and that is unbelievably moving. Thank you.

We also have to thank all the amazing artists and crafters who donated items to be sold through April’s Army on Etsy. It’s obvious that you all put your hearts into your work. Frankly, it was a struggle not to buy many of the items ourselves! They were just that fantastic. Your contributions have made an incredible difference in our lives.

And of course, we are immeasurably grateful to April and her whole charity team. Not one bit of this would have happened without your kindness and generosity. You really are improving the world, one Etsy seller at a time.

So from our family to all of you, thank you!

-Katie and Marilyn.

(Originally published on http://www.regretsy.com/2011/07/06/news-and-importantness/)

Thank You! With Photos!

This past week has been amazing for us! The outpouring of support from all of you has been overwhelming, mind-blowing, life-changing...there just aren't enough words. We've written a huge letter of thanks that will be going up on Regretsy very soon, and I don't want to spoil it, so I'll post it here after it's gone up over there.

What I will post now are some pictures! We received over 250 orders and completely sold out. (Thank you!) It's going to take a while to get all these orders out, so in the meantime I thought I would keep you all updated and involved with posts about our soap making/packaging/shipping process.

A vast expanse of yellow roses.

Soaps have completely taken over our house. There is hardly a surface that isn't covered with raw materials, setting soaps, soaps waiting to be packaged or the packaging itself.

Yellow roses are setting on every kitchen counter.

Yellow roses cover the living room table.

Once these set, they're popped out, and another color takes over.

They're even filling the refrigerator!

Once the translucent soaps are popped out, we store them in the fridge. Some of the translucent soaps have a tendency to "glisten" when they're put in warm, covered areas. You can see the effect here:

The orange and the purple are glistening. The pink isn't.
Why? The world may never know!

The glistening isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's actually very pretty. It's a lot like condensation on the outside of a glass of ice water. It wipes off easily, wet or dry. Still, we've found that putting the soaps in the fridge stops them from glistening for a while, even after they've warmed up, and that's good for shipping.

Closeups! Pink and blue stars.

Orange roses.

Pink roses.

That's it for our first photo update! Thank you all for your unbelievable generosity and your patience as we get everything put together and sent out. If you have any questions at all, leave them in the comments or email us at etsysoapmachine at gmail. Be sure to check Regretsy for the big thank you, and check back here as we continue to post behind-the-scenes updates!

The Story of Why My Mom's So Awesome and Why She Needs Our Help

Hi. I'm Katie, and this is my mom, Marilyn:

It's been a hard few years for our family, and throughout it all, my mom has been the glue holding us together, our ultimate supporter, and the sacrifices she's made are staggering. A few years ago, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had to have several surgeries, and despite aggressive chemo and radiation, it eventually spread to his liver, spine, and brain. We were struggling financially before this, and then my mom became the sole income-earner for the family. The owner was raising the rent on our home, medical bills were piling up, and somehow she still managed to sit with my dad 24 hours a day when he was in the hospital. When he wasn't in the hospital, I drove him to his daily chemo or radiation appointments, but at every major meeting with a doctor, she was by his side. 

Last May, my brilliant, hilarious, wonderful dad passed away. It's difficult to express what a gift it's been to have these two amazing people as parents. My mom had been with my dad for over 30 years, and as profound as my loss has been, I know she has suffered a loss all her own. Yet, somehow, my mom has kept us all going. Her strength and her love are unparalleled. I wish you guys could meet her; you'd definitely agree, she's totally awesome.

But she needs a little help, so I'm reaching out into the world and humbly asking that you join me in helping her. To try to cope with the rapidly rising expenses, my mom and dad took out a loan, which in a beautiful act of kindness her boss and coworker cosigned on. My mom was able to keep up with payments towards the loan for a while, but over time it became more and more difficult. She works 7 days a week to support my little brother and me, and I've never seen her take a vacation. Still, recently, repaying the loan has been nearly impossible. I've taken a leave of absence from college and started working, but it simply hasn't been enough. She worries that soon they will go after the cosigners--her boss and her coworker. This weighs heavily on her, but it's a burden that I know with your help we can lift.


How you can help:

• Visit our Etsy shop Soap Machine Co. Everything is 100% handmade by me with love in my mom's kitchen. New items are always being added, and custom orders are more than welcome! I will try to meet any request. 
• Pass the link to our shop along to anyone you know who likes being clean and smelling delicious.
• If you don't find anything in the shop that you'd like or you'd just rather donate directly, you can use the Paypal donate button below:

On behalf of my mom and our family, to everyone who's taken the time to read through this page and extend your hands and your hearts to us, thank you.