Tea at Trianon: Napa Soap

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, December 2, 2016

Napa Soap

I really love the artisan soaps and cannot have enough of them around. From Victoria:

Sheila Rockwood finds her muse in almost everything in the picturesque Napa Valley. It’s not hard to see why. From rolling hills dotted with winding grapevines to a dazzling array of flowers and wildlife, the area of northern California known for its stunning vistas and delicious wines is effortlessly inspiring.

In January 2000, with two young sons and another on the way, Sheila longed for a more flexible career that would allow her to spend time with her children. As it turned out, the encouragement she needed lay just outside her back door. Fragrant lavender grew abundantly in her yard, and Sheila says she knew she could make something wonderful with it. “I got a bee in my bonnet to make lavender soap, even though I had no idea how to do it.” Her first few attempts, although inspired, were far from perfect. “Soap is tricky to make until you get the hang of it,” she says. “I botched many batches in those early days.” After almost two years of experimenting with the precise combinations of just the right ingredients, Sheila perfected her formula, and the soaps were an instant success. (Read more.)