INTRODUCING MR M.I.F
Updated: Mar 3, 2021
It was in a shepherd’s hut in deepest Somerset when, at least as far as I was aware, the seeds of soap making entered my life. Until that point soap was something that I'd only seen in slightly dodgy toilets in even dodgier night clubs or my Grandparents bathroom. Certainly, in the case of the dodgy night clubs it didn't really look like it would improve your personal hygiene! The reason that this shepherds hut was so significant was the fact that it had a small but perfectly formed beautiful bar of soap in it's equally small and beautiful shower room. I hadn't really noticed the soap until it seemed that Steph was unable to have a conversation without mentioning it. I finally cracked and actually had a proper look at the small bar of soap. I must admit on closer inspection I could see why she liked it so much. It smelt of peppermint and had a lovely stamp of a stag’s head pushed into it. Very nice, I thought!!
Our house has always had a lot of craft “stuff" in it. I was quite used to seeing packets or boxes of weird stuff appear, and thinking “What is she going to do with that?” and then a few days later some elaborately and ornately decorated Object D'arts or beautifully wrapped present turn up on the dining room table. That's what Steph did. It did seem that more and more packages of stuff were starting to turn up, but I hadn't said anything as Steph got fed up with me taking the Mickey! To be honest parts of our house looked more like a primary school class room. I liked that, but obviously would never admit it!
One day I walked in the front door and the most amazing smell hit me. Intrigued as to its origin, I headed to the kitchen only to find Steph surrounded by moulds, various different coloured powders, containers of oils and butters all over the work tops and more stuff being heated on the hob. It even looked like Steph had been using the kitchen scales, which to say the least, was a shock. Measuring stuff out and following recipes had never been something Steph considered necessary or important. What's going on I thought!! Well, it seemed that it was soap that was going on. Welcome to the future.