Procrastination: the ultimate motivator

No really, procrastination is the ultimate motivator. I get so much more done the more deadlines I have. I'm too busy doing a million other things to get those deadlines finished.

Firstly, the daffodils are done, still a few tulips, the aliums are coming, and I've had my first ever own-garden-bouquet:

 

My favorite tulip - I just love the color

 

I started seedlings a few weeks ago, sunflowers, sweet peas, Shasta daisies, and cucumbers (the "Burpless Beauty" heehee!). With the exception of the Shasta daisies, everything else made it into the ground. The daisies aren't quite far enough along for that.

 

And then the real procrastination started. Recycling candles! Mind you, I have three spreads for my students to finish, an application and a peer review to plan for, not to mention an Australian coming next weekend. But candles were the priority. 

All of the citronella candles from the last few years have been driving me mad. The wicks have burned down, but there is still plenty of wax (about an inch) in them. Put them together and you get several inches. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while, but the wick part of making new candles eluded me.

 

Step one: google how to make your own wicks. Since I am a pack-rat, I must have everything I need, turns out I do! Cotton twine, (I only have red, but when it's on fire, no one will notice anyway) salt, and boric acid. Boric Acid is what we use to keep roaches and ants at bay. Perfect. Soak the "wicks" in boric acid/salt/water solution overnight.

Hang to dry:   

 

here's a more focused image of my beautiful pink tree!

 

It sort of exploded into color one day last week.

Once the wicks are dry they need to be set up in the container: 

 

This requires lots of paper clips and interesting rigging. 

 

While one is fiddling with that, the wax melts down.  I have a bottle of citronella oil so I dumped some of that in as well to boost the existing scent.

 

 

(Those sugary coated looking things are the wicks!)  

 

When everything is melted, time to start pouring:  

While the citronella candles are cooling you can start to recycle all of those IKEA candles:

Same deal, melt wax, add wick, pour.

The result? four brand new candles! all for the price of - well whatever I paid for them last time and some cooking gas. But now I am ready for the hordes of mosquitoes that always plague me!

Then when you are finished, admire the mess you've made in the kitchen.  Have fun cleaning!

 

Just a little more procrastination....