Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 6

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To celebrate our move to HSN, we did a special video on their Facebook page demonstrating a couple of the recipes and projects from our Beekman 1802 Almanac Magazine. In case you missed it live, the video is below.

If you’re interested in getting your own copy of our magazine straight to your door every 3 months, make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe.

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DIY Postcard Date Keeper

When he has free time, Josh can’t resist a village-wide garage sale day. Hunting for great vintage finds like stationary boxes and postcards is a thrill one must experience themselves to truly understand it.

If you’re a garage sale expert like Josh, you can use the vintage cards and containers you find during your adventures to create this noteworthy date keeper.

MATERIALS

Unfinished Wooden Box
Wood Stain
Wood Stain Brush
Stamps
Ink Pad
Post Cards (vintage)
Index Cards

INSTRUCTIONS

Our wooden box came with a top, but we decided to remove the top since it is not needed. Using a screwdriver, take off the tiny screws from the hinges to remove the top. Discard top, hinges and screws.

Stain the box with desired color stain. In a well-ventilated area, begin to dip the brush into the can of stain, brushing excess stain off the brush when pulling it out. Brush stain in the direction of the wood grain, until all areas are covered. Set to dry.

Allow stain to dry overnight or follow the directions on the can. While box is drying, begin stamping your months. We used these clicking letter stamps to make sure our words were aligned. Stamp the month in the upper right-hand corner of the vintage postcard, with the card being in a portrait orientation. If desired, stamp the index cards with days of the month. Organize and place in the box.

    

 

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The Science Behind How to Blow the Perfect Bubble

In many ways, bubbles are the reason we’re here at Beekman 1802. When the economic bubble burst in 2008, we needed a way to keep the farm afloat. We started making a different kind of bubble: the clear bubbles that come from our signature goat milk soap. This soap saved us and brought us together with our wonderful neighbors. We could really drive this bubble metaphor home by talking about Brent’s bubbly personality, but we digress. Anyways — while some people may think bubbles are frivolous, we think they can be pretty important.   

Why not take bubbles seriously? Let’s dive deep into the science behind bubbles and try to make the best bubble we can for both soap and gum!  

To create the perfect soap bubble, you need to understand the anatomy of a bubble. A soap bubble consists of three microscopic layers. The outer layer is the soap solution, the middle layer is pure water molecules, and the innermost layer is more soap solution. Because the middle layer is purely water, this means that in the right temperature (-13 degrees Fahrenheit or colder) your bubble can freeze. If you’re brave enough to be out in that type of cold, try blowing bubbles in the frigid air. The middle bubble layer will form into a very thin layer of ice and will last a while before popping.   

 

What soap makes the biggest bubbles?  

For this one, we actually don’t recommend our soap. For big rainbow soap bubbles, this is when additives like oil and petroleum (ingredients that we do not use) are a good thing.  Because we make real soap with simple ingredients, our soap doesn’t make those bubbles that have a rainbow sheen that catch the light in just the right way.   

For strong bubbles that can last a while on the wind and look great in the sun, it’s good to look for liquid dish soaps. Now it’s time for us to do our best Bill Nye the Science Guy impression. Lab coats on, everybody!  

These types of soaps are actually detergents, meaning that they contain surfactants. (This is why our Happy Place laundry line is a soap, and not a detergent.) Surfactants are important in bubble making because they reduce the surface tension in water. When surface tension in water is reduced, it creates a more even layer of water. This means that the three layers of the soap bubble are more even, which makes your bubble harder to burst.  

Another thing soap bubbles need to be their best is a stabilizer. Adding a little white sugar or corn syrup to your detergent and water solution creates strong chemical bonds and stronger layers. Stronger bubbles can withstand a lot of air before they burst and will float better in the breeze.   

What about wands? 

Truth is, wands aren’t the most important part of the bubble. Feel free to use your forefinger and thumb shaped into an O, the wand that came in your bubble solution, or make one by shaping one pipe cleaner into a circle and use another pipe cleaner to create a handle. The most important part of making a bubble isn’t the tool used, but the breath used.   

So how do you blow the perfect soap bubble?  

In 2016, a group of French scientists determined the perfect way to blow a bubble. These scientists were able to determine that while your bubble solution does have an effect on the strength of the bubbles, the most important part of bubble blowing is the force with which you blow. 

The scientists set up a system that kept the thickness of their detergent solution and the width of the potential bubble regulated. Then they used a nozzle to blow air into this system. They also took turns blowing in light helium and heavy sulfur hexafluoride gas (Say that ten times fast!). They were able to determine that the minimum blowing speed for bubble creation was between 10 and 100 meters per second. Anything outside this range didn’t create a fully-formed bubble.   

When you have perfected your soap bubble technique, it’s time to move to the big leagues of bubble blowing— gum bubbles.  

How do you blow the best gum bubble? 

The world record for largest bubble blown was achieved in April 2004 by Chad Fell. His bubble measured 20 inches in diameter. You might be able to blow his record out of the water if you follow these tips.  

A lot of what goes into blowing the perfect soap bubble is similar to what goes into blowing the perfect gum bubble. The 2016 study on how much force you need in your breath is applicable to non-soap bubbles. That 10 to 100 meters per second of force in your blow is also the sweet spot for bubbles. One major thing to remember when it comes to gum is that once you are blowing air in that range, you need to be consistent.   

Gum bubbles are trickier because consistency is key. You can’t go too big, too fast or else your bubble will pop before it has time to reach optimum bubble-osity (We’re not sure if that’s a real word, but it sounds science-y enough for us!)  

What’s the best gum for bubbles? 

When it comes to the best bubblegum to use, there’s a lot of science behind this too (We think these scientists must have a lot of time on their hands.) Studies have shown that the best brands of gum are Dubble Bubble (Which is what Chad Fell used in his world record bubble), Bazooka gum and Bubbilicious. Why are these gums prime picks for bubble blowing? It’s the sugar content.  

When it’s time for choosing the right gum, you should be looking for a gum that is made with less sugar and in general is harder to chew at first. While sugar is good for stabilizing both soap and gum bubbles, too much can have the opposite effect. Gum with higher sugar content makes the pieces softer and easier to chew right away. Gum with a harder structure will take a while to chew but will reward you with bubbles that are bigger and hold their shape longer. For quantity, the world record holder used three pieces of Dubble Bubble but more gum doesn’t always equal better bubbles. Start with one piece and practice your form, then add another piece if you’re feeling daring.   

The secret to big bubbles 

The biggest secret to success when it comes to blowing bubblegum bubbles is to make sure that you are not chewing your gum for too long. Your saliva breaks down the gum’s structure the longer you chew. In addition to this, if you let your gum become cold, it will start to lose its elasticity. So pop in a piece of Bazooka gum and chew for 4-5 minutes, then starting blowing.  

So now that you know all the secrets and science to bubbles, it’s time to go practice! We would love to see our neighbors put these tips and tricks into action. If you think you have made the perfect soap or gum bubble, take a pic and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #BeekmanBubbles. We can’t wait to see what you create!  

 

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DIY Tic Tac Toe on the go

Most of you know how much we travel. A friend of ours made a set like this as a gift for us. We thought it was cute, but didn’t really expect to use it. Still, we tossed it in our bag to be polite, and you know what? We pull it out a lot! Such a relief from staring at our phone screens at the same old email chains and breaking news “alerts.” Plus it gets us talking to each other. Always a good way to pass the time.

MATERIALS

Silicone Molds
Polymer Oven Bake Clay
Muslin Carry Bag
Chalk
Oven

INSTRUCTIONS 

Preheat oven based on instructions of the clay. Ours was to bake at 280 degrees Fahrenheit.

Knead clay into small pieces.

Fill silicone mold trays with small pieces of clay, packing the mold firmly. Smooth clay flush into the mold.

Place mold into the oven, bake for the time recommended on clay instructions. Ours was to bake for 15 minutes.

Let clay and mold cool, remove hardened clay from slots.

Pack a piece of chalk with tic tac toe pieces in to-go bags and play away.

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Life Lessons | “See” A Few Things In A Way That You Have Never Seen Them Before

“If you change how you look at things, the things you look at change.”

 

Cultivate a better life is the guiding principle of the Beekman 1802 Almanac, and this entire year we’ve devoted the pages in each issue to elevating one of the five senses. In this upcoming Autumn issue (subscribe here to get your copy when it comes out), we hope we can help you “see” a few things in a way that you have never seen them before.

After we lost our “big city” jobs in the recession of 2008, we came very close to losing Beekman Farm. Like so many other Americans, we simply could not come up with the mortgage payment.

As the chilly months of Autumn crept through the valley, we decided to save the resources set aside to heat the house until we REALLY needed it in the cold winter months that were surely ahead.

Instead, we spent the colder parts of the day in the barn, insulated by the summer’s hay stacked high and by the warmth generated from a herd of 80 goats.

We literally became the men who stared at goats.

One of the peculiarities of goats is that they are always jostling each other to see who can be king (or queen!) of the mountain. One likes to be standing just a little higher than the other.

Why?

Quite simply, the view is better from up there.

Think about it from the standpoint of herd mentality and self-preservation.

The goat that is just a little higher than everyone else in the herd has a completely different perspective on the surroundings than anyone else. Danger lurking in the field? She’s the first one out of there.  Farmer John putting out some fresh cut grain—ditto!

So you might say that the secret to our success lies in the goats—not in their milk but their eyes. At that time in our lives, they helped us see things from a different perspective. Had they not, Beekman 1802  would have never been created.

In life, we can find ourselves in all kinds of ruts. Maybe you can’t decide what you want to make for dinner, or how to spend your time on a cool autumn weekend, or perhaps there are bigger obstacles creating blind spots.

Figure out how to see your problems differently. Temporarily suspend how you are viewing life and ask how someone else might approach the problem.  Simply ask yourself, “What would so and so do in this situation?” Sometimes just that simple exercise is so jarring that you come up with your own new ideas.

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DIY Umbrella Wreath

Spring weather on the farm can be pretty unpredictable. The Mohawk Valley has its fair share of torrential rainstorms and freak heat waves to keep all of its inhabitants guessing. For us, this topsy-turvy weather leads to us going through a lot of weather gear, especially umbrellas.

From an umbrella that has faded from too many beautiful Spring afternoons to the umbrella that couldn’t handle a sudden downpour while we walked the fields with önder, we have a lot of extras hanging around the house. This DIY is a great way to repurpose them.

MATERIALS

Umbrella (Walkingstick style with a wood handle)
Florals (fresh or faux)
Floral tubes (for use with fresh flowers)
Ribbon
Wreath Hanger

INSTRUCTIONS

Lay the florals down next to the closed umbrella and trim the flower stems to the appropriate length. They should be no longer than the bottom of the metal frame inside of the umbrella.

       

Unbuckle the umbrella strap. Now place your flowers inside of the umbrella. They should be standing straight up, just like they would if they were in a vase.

Once the florals are arranged to your liking, grab the ribbon and tie it in place of the umbrella strap. Make sure the ribbon is secured and will not untie. The ribbon should keep the umbrella closed and secure the stems in an orderly place.

Place your wreath hanger on the door and set the handle on the hanger. Who needs that welcome mat when you have fresh flowers to say hello?

 

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DIY Bike Basket

Growing up, Josh was always decorating his bikes. From stickers to streamers to bright orange safety flags to poorly spray painted “flames”…if it could be attached to a bike, it was on Josh’s. He even used the old clothes pins and playing cards trick so that his bike sounded like a motorcycle. Kind of. Not really. (It also really ticked off his bridge-playing grandmother.)

If you’re still the kind of person who likes to accessorize their wheels (but tastefully now cuz you’re a grownup) you can create your own bike basket sturdy enough to hold your belongings and customized it to fit your individual style. Just remember, “More is Never Enough.”

MATERIALS

Wood
String
Saw
Clamp
Pencil
Wood Nails
Wood glue
Ruler
Sandpaper block

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Measure the arms of the bicycle. Find an appropriate length, width and height for your bike. We measured keeping in mind the curvature of the bars and the metal plate over the tire. We measure our basket to be 10-inches wide by 8-inches in depth by 11-inches high.

Pick your wood, remembering to stay light with the wood for weight reasons. We chose faux pallet wood boards found at Lowes. Tip: Companies are always putting pallets on the side of the road for the taking. Next, make the markings on the boards to cut.

Cut the boards. You will need 6 pieces cut to 5.5-inches wide by 10-inches long and 4 pieces cut to 5.5-inches wide by 8-inch long.

Brush up the edges with the sandpaper block to clean the edges.

  

Take 2 of the same pieces of wood and glue 1 of the edges lengthwise. Place the same matching piece together, clamp and let dry. Instructions on the wood glue will direct how long to dry. You will have 2 sets of the 8-inch-long wood and 3 sets of the 10-inch-long wood.

Once they are dry, start to align the box together. Asking for a second hand from someone will be very helpful. Align the box together and nail enough nails on each edge to secure the box tightly.

Drill 2 holes at desired length apart on one side of the open box. Then string the string through the holes for ties to the bike.

Enjoy your ride with the new basket.

 

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DIY Serving Tray

Breakfast in bed is not a very frequent affair on Beekman 1802 Farm (Or any farm for that matter.) But every once in a while we do find it fun to bring one of our friends or family members a morning treat on a special occasion.

Unless you’re royalty (are you royalty? If so, let us know…that’d be cool!) you probably won’t get a ton of use out of a breakfast-in-bed tray. So why spend a ton of money on one? This one is super easy and inexpensive to make yourself.

MATERIALS

Wood
Wood Stain (Jacobean Finish)
Stain-friendly brush
Sandpaper block (fine/medium)
Saw
Wood Screws
Screws (short)
Leather
Dowels (1-1.4 inch)
Drill
Small dropcloth
Leather hole punch

INSTRUCTIONS

Measure out the desired length for your tray. We marked our wood to 12-inches wide by 20 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. Mark your measurements with a pencil to indicate where to cut.

We used an electric-powered saw for this project. A traditional saw will also work, it just will involve a bit more elbow grease. Make your cuts based on the markings.

The dowels will act as the legs of the tray. The length of the dowels can be any desired length, based off the purpose and the desired appearance of the tray. Our dowels measured at 4 inches.

Measure the dowel stick to the desired length. Mark four markings on the dowel stick at equal lengths, then make your cuts with a small hand saw.

Smooth the cut edges of the tray and dowels with a sandpaper block.

Time to stain the tray and dowels. Make sure to be in a well-ventilated area since the stain has a strong scent and can be irritating.

Dip your brush about two inches into the stain can, brushing the excess off when pulling the brush outwards of the can. The typical rule of thumb is to brush in the direction of the wood grain. Use light brush strokes, spreading out the stain until there is an even “dry” looking surface. While brushing on the stain, make sure the stain is being absorbed and there are no bubbles or puddles. Repeat until the wood is covered entirely.  Stain the sides and bottom as well. Repeat the stain process on the dowels.

Set your stained wood pieces on a surface or drop cloth that won’t transfer the stain onto anything important and yet does not affect the drying process for the edges. Follow the recommended drying time as listed on your container of stain. Our can said a minimum of eight hours. Doing this part of the project at night is best so you can let it dry overnight.

For the handles, measure your board width wise. Our board measured 12 inches. Now add 1.5 inches on each end to account for wrapping the leather under the board for a finished look. Next add another 1.5 inches in length to your measurement. This gives space for hands to use the leather as functional handles. We needed a total of 16.5 inches in length.

    

Cut leather using heavy duty scissors or a rotary knife. Repeat one more time in length for the other handle. Next, use the leather punch to punch a centered hole 3/4 inch in at the tail ends of the leather. Next, flip the tray underside up. Set the end of the leather to be secured on the underside running the width of the tray and place the leather 1 inch in from the corner. Drill a short nail into the hole of the leather, securing the strap. Repeat on other side.

Make a pencil marking on one of the two ends of the dowels, centered the marking.  Using the drill with a drill bit, make a hole 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch deep into the dowel, repeat on each dowel. Now flip the tray over to have the underside up and make markings about 1-1/4 inch in from each edge. Drill a hole all the way though. Repeat on each corner. Flip the tray top side up and begin to screw in the screws from the top side going down, screwing into a dowel on every corner.

    

Serve away!

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A New Look for an Old Friend

Francis Bacon once said that a wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

Almost as soon as we started making soap with artisan Deb MacGillycuddy, we formed the B. 1802 Rural Artisan Collective—weavers, woodworkers, ceramicists, blacksmiths and other local craftspeople working together to create greater opportunities for all.

Everything we create at Beekman 1802 is intended to help you cultivate a better life, and as a company we want to cultivate future creative talent. We started thinking what was the most valuable real estate we had to offer, even more valuable than a spot on the Mercantile shelves?  It had to be our shopping bags which we know people recycle and use over and over again.

We decided to commission up and coming visionary artists to design our signature shopping bags to give their work greater exposure.

Diaz + Young (read more about them here) uses photo montage to form surreal or fantastic images that create an eerie sense of reality and an ironic refutation of photography as truth. If you have the Winter 2017 Edition of our Beekman 1802 Almanac magazine, you’ll see the behind-the-scenes of creating the shots as part of our Instastory feature.

The idea that two artist photographers—one male, the other female—can work together while being separated by a vast ocean is revolutionary—but such is the nature of this groundbreaking exploration.  Read more about The International Collaboration Project by Francisco Diaz (USA) + Deb Young (New Zealand) here.

But just because we have something new, doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of our old bags entirely. If you are the nostalgic sort of person, we’ll bring back our classic brown bag every once in a while for “Brown Bag Special” events at the Mercantile. Be on the lookout for those.

And don’t worry— if you’re a diehard brown bagger, you can ask for one when you’re checking out at the Mercantile.

Until then, if you meet someone in your life waiting for an opportunity to knock, the very least you can do is help them build a door.

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Join the HSNeighborhood

Hi Neighbors!  

By now, we’re sure you’ve heard our little company’s BIG news: we’re moving to HSN! We have received so many messages of excitement, encouragement, and congratulations on our switch to HSN. We’ve received about as many messages with questions (most of which we answered during a Facebook Live Q&A). We are humbled at the outpouring of love. We only get one chance to make a successful first impression with HSN, and our nerves are starting to get the better of us. But you guys are the reason we’ve grown this far, and your support keeps us calm. You’ve cheered us on a race around the world, you’ve tidied up Beekman shelves in stores around the country, you’ve come to all of our village festivals…you’re the reason we’ve been able to grow a thriving business in a small rural town. 

We hope that during our Facebook Live Q&A, we were able to answer most of your questions, and then some. If there is anything we didn’t answer, you can always reach us on Facebook! The two of us try to answer each and every comment that comes through. You can also watch the live Q&A below. 

xo, 

j&b 

Where are you going? 

We are moving to HSN and our first show is July 31st.  

Why did you leave Evine?  

Our goal is to make as many people happy as possible. The reason we made the decision to leave Evine is because as you guys know, over the last several years, Evine has been a tremendous partner. We would not be here without their help. They are tremendous at helping to grow brand new brands that otherwise would not be able to get their start. We are eternally grateful to Evine. It was a very hard decision, but one of the biggest challenges for us is the amount of time we spent away from the farm – the source of inspiration for everything we do. For every 3-4 days we were on Evine, we would have to travel a couple of days early for setup, meetings, etc. which would then turn into a week. And during some months, we would have two appearances on Evine which meant two weeks or so away from the farm and that just got to be a lot for us. If we are not at the farm, we cannot continue to post the beautiful pictures you all love on social media. We can’t keep coming up with the ideas and formulations for new products. We had to find the best solution that would give us back the quality of life at the farm, but that also enabled us to connect with a lot of neighbors. We still love all of our friends at Evine. By us moving away from Evine, another little brand will now have the opportunity of a lifetime.  

Are you doing a lot of new Christmas items?  

Oh yes, we will have the holiday bounty boxes and seasonal bounty boxes. Everything that you loved on Evine, you will have on HSN, except even better because it is free shipping on beauty products.  

 Are the goats coming with you to HSN?  

Where would we be without the baby goats? Of course, they’re coming. One thing that people don’t know is that we don’t bring our own baby goats. We actually work with a goat farm local to the studio for our appearances.  

Are you going to be selling a lot of new things on HSN?  

We have been using our time this summer to develop new products and new ideas for all of you. One of the things we’ve been working with HSN on is how to bring some of our local artisan-made items to HSN. It gives our local artisans an opportunity to sell on a big platform, which we could never figure out the logistics of with Evine. We are really excited about that.  

Will you also be selling on QVC?  

That’s a great question! They are owned by the same company as HSN but are two separate brands. A presence on QVC is not up to us, but who knows what the future will bring.  

Will there be more men-specific products on HSN?  

This is on the chore list, but we do try to make all of our advanced skincare items unisex. 

Already checked out HSN but did not see sets like on Evine (lip balms, face wipes, etc.) 

They’re coming. We are all working hard at getting all the inventory up on their website.  

What is your favorite soap scent?  

Honey Oatmeal for Brent and Honey Grapefruit for Josh 

Will your website still be up?  

Oh yes! You can always order special and exclusive items that you’ll only find on shop.beekman1802.com. 

Will you continue the Limited-Edition Beekman Cookie Jars and Limited-Edition Ornament?  

Yes! It’s already designed and super charming. 

Will the products still be made in the US?  

Absolutely. All of our beauty and skincare will always be made in the USA where we can trace the origins of every single ingredient.  

I would like to leave a review on your products on HSN. How do I do it?  

HSN (much like other TV shopping networks) want to make sure that the reviews are authentic. After you’ve purchased and received your items, you’ll receive an email with a prompt to leave a review.  

What is the first thing I should try?  

You have to start with the soap, the body cream and the wipes – the 3 best-selling products.  

Will you do subscription boxes as you did on Evine?  

Yep! We’ve already started designing them!  

 There’s a price increase on the soaps. How come?  

All we can say right now is: watch for the on-air special. It’s all going to work out or even better! We will have the best deal on soaps, ever.   

How often will you be on TV? 

We are going to be on HSN once a month, for one day at a time. Sign up for the email notifications.  At the end of July, we are starting with Beauty. In August, we will be bringing Happy Place and then September is back to Beauty. In October, we will be switching to Holiday items which means GOAT POOP is coming back! 

Are you going to have lotions on HSN?  

Yes, not all the products are up on the HSN website. Everything will be going up over time.  

How much will we pay for shipping?  

HSN has free shipping for all beauty products! You read that right, free shipping!  

 

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