I ran out of the face cream I made a couple of days ago and have been using a differnt one that is much heavier. It works but takes longer to absorb and leaves an  oily film on the skin. This is very good for dry and cracked skin, or thick skin such as the heels, because the film protects and acts as a barrier, plus keeps moisture in. It is a bit heavy for my old face though. 
I had been researching more on the properties of some solid oils I have. I love Ucuba butter. It kind of makes the skin tingle almomst to the point you want to wash it off, then it goes away, but the results on the skin are amazing. Laurel berry oil has been used in the middle east for centuries and is the second ingredient, along with virgin olive oil, in Aleppo soap. It has a strong sort of smoky smell that cannot be disguised, so it must be taken as it comes. I don't mind the smell at all. 
Shea butter is great, but tends to absorb slowly and stay on the skin. Coconut oil is excellent but not moisturizing enough. Cocoa butter smells like chocolate and is very good for the skin, but melts at a high temperature so needs to be incorporated in something to be beneficial. I put all those in the skin secret. 

I melted the hard oils over a double boiler and shea and coconut were added, which liquified immediately. The result is a thick oil, almost feeling like a gel. In cooler temperatures, it will cloud a bit and thicken more, so it can be scooped with the fingers. At this temperature, 26 degrees C, it is like a thick gel. But wow, it is amazing. It absorbs readily into the skin and leaves it silky soft and smooth, which is saying something for 61 year old skin. I am not claiming it will prevent or take away wrinkles or clear cellulite or pretty much anything. I know it will make skin soft and provide a barrier against drying elements such as concrete dust and chlorine. Concrete dust? Well, my son is working in the concrete industry doing shoring and has noticed that the dust combined wtih the chlorine in the water has caused his skin to be dry. When he was home, using my home made soaps and lotions, it was not so. That says something. 
I made 4 jars for sale and one for me. Actually three for sale, one for my son and one for me is what there is. As ususal I did not weigh or measure quantities, so to reproduce it exactly would be a fluke, but I can replicate something close. I want to take a jar to my friend who is visiting my mother in my absence and then I am down to two. Oh well, good things don't last forever. Would you like one of the other jars?

The interior is done and the stock is almost in place. Tomrrow I will bring in some fabric rolls and cuts and then clean up around the store and plant some flowers. The signs were ordered a while back, but I opted for the least expensive postage, so it takes up to 3 weeks to get here. I checked today and they have not arrived yet, but will soon. The contents are a mix of old and new and used. There are brand new still in the bag organic items, beeswax and beeswax candles, all sorts of home made soap, essential oils, carrier oils and essential oil blends and the antique and new china and exclusive items. I have to look online to see what a  set of 4 Fire King Depresson ware is selling for. 

As soon as the yard is ready and the signs are here, the insurance man needs to know so the liability can be increased. The composting toilet also needs to be installed in the new outhouse. Then the doors can be open for business. 

It is rather exciting and at the same time a little heart wrenching to part with treasures. My mother's carnival glass bowl that she kept her bobby pins in is for sale in the store. She pin curled her hair all the time and slept with it that way. I remember watching her as a little girl, wondering how she could sleep with all those bobby pins in her head, but she did, obviously. I was not allowed to touch the glass bowl, with a little fawn perched on the lid, but I did sometimes, just never told. 

My old viewmaster with some reels is in the farm store too. As time permits, I will make some food items, like pickled eggs and garlic, and seasoning packages to go with recipes for meats in the freezer. The freezer will have farm meats in it. So far there are geese and ducks from last season, organic, and some organic lamb and goat will go in there too. Eggs will be sold unwashed as they should be sold. As soon as I get a chance, the garden will be planted and it is very close to the store so people can see what is growing. I am opting for several crops of micro greens, and quick growing vegetables, as well as 60 day squash and pumpkin. 

The exterior needs to be scraped, power washed and painted before any window boxes and planters are in place. Maybe next week, sigh. Maybe.