It’s taken a while to warm up here on Lismore. The summer hasn’t arrived according to the calendar and in the past two weeks we’ve had...

This weekend on Facebook I saw that a woman I know was preparing to do a hike for charity, up Ben Nevis. I was impressed; it’s for a good...

After spending months visualising a workspace for Shepherds Cottage Soaps, this week I was offered one. What a thought: to be moving out...

It’s my birthday this week. I love birthdays: cake, presents, dressing up, parties, champagne cocktails, nibbles, invitations, ribbon, to...

“And then she said, ‘We’ll just have a look and see if there’s any more in there, shall we?’” This is the punch line of the story I tell...

And so, we’re coming to the end of the lambing. Some lived and some died; more lived than died. It was the cruelty and beauty of nature...

Spring is everywhere, and finally this week we had a few days of warmth in the sun, that golden promise of summer that makes you think...

Every year we sit cuddled on the couch, drinking tea, maybe enjoying a digestive, and watch This Farming Life on tv. Every year we talk...

My daughter came home on Friday with a ‘potion’, a jam jar filled with flowers, glitter and water, decorated with ribbon and gold paint....

This week we saw a year since lock down began, a year of living through a global pandemic, a global panic. Last weekend I watched Yuval...

Today’s blog is a tough one. I considered not writing it, but in the end, because I am trying to become a more ethical consumer and I am...

The people who come to my stand at craft fairs and look at the soaps are always full of questions about how they are made and what they...

Throughout March I’ll be talking about the ingredients that I use in my soap, starting with the one I use in the highest percentage:...

Thinking about plastic free / compostable packaging... About three years ago I decided to try and make shampoo bars. They were increasing...

A day in the life of a soap maker. This is what I imagine: Turning the key in a glass door and walking into a double volume gallery...

Assuming that you always treat your partner with respect, love and kindness, how do you make Valentine’s Day special? For me, all...

Ah, Valentine's Day. And it’s so nice to get a present, whether it’s from your lover; your friend; your mom; luck of the draw. My husband...

Simple soap making method.... The first soap I made was a melt-and-pour kit from an online craft shop. It was a lavender scented soap...

A few summers ago, my parents visited from South Africa and both spent some time helping with the soap: my mom wrapped countless bars and...

On a clear day, after a quick walk up the hill behind our house to the highest point on Lismore, you can see the island stretch out,...