A Giveaway and a Beautiful Blog!

Hi everybody! There's a giveaway going on over at Through the Lilac Bushes with some of my bath teas and a facial soap! =)  Head on over there and enter! =D Sarah at Through the Lilac Bushes is having a series of giveaways to bring attention to her sister's beautiful photography blog Master's Handiwork Photography! She does beautiful work!

Pumpkin Pie Soap! Yummy!

Well I don't know how it's been in your neck of the woods, but around here it's been getting cooler, which has put me in the mood for fall. I'm dreaming of crisp cool days and nights, bonfires, fresh apple cider, beautiful trees, and best of all- Pumpkin Pie.

This is what makes it awesome. ;)

We're not QUITE there yet, but I'm ready for it, which gave me the idea for this soap. I made it with actual Pumpkin Puree that I put up in my freezer last year, and added some organic cinnamon leaf essential oil, a little ground nutmeg, and a tiny bit of ginger. Ohhh, it smells wonderful!

In the mold....

This is the first of a few fall themed soaps I plan to add to my Etsy shop this fall. =) I'm excited about the new additions!

Cut into bars and curing on the counter! =) 

Have a wonderful day everyone!

I'm Baaaack! =)

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I've been away for so long! I had to take a little bit of a break.

Something exciting happend last month.... my little brother got engaged! =) Here's a picture of him and his sweet bride-to-be!

I'm SO excited. =) The wedding is on November 19th!!! =D 

And I also got a new camera from my amazing husband!! It's a Nikon D5000. =)

So. You should be seeing a few more pictures from me. I LOVE it.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be showing you the new soap I'm making... Pumpkin Pie! =)  I'll be posting regularly now... or doing my best to do that. I hope you're having a great weekend!

The Attack of the Giant Summer Squash!

This year Josh and I are growing our garden at his parent's house down the road. Since the garden isn't right in our back yard I don't get out there as much as I should. Enter very productive squash plants, and you have a very LARGE squash problem. Thank goodness I only planted a couple of them!! Look at the size of the one on the right! It was about 18 inches long!

Here it is compared to a NORMAL sized one. =) 

Now, I love yellow squash, and so does Josh, but you can't eat squash every day right? 

I was envisioning the terrible waste of throwing away my beautiful squashes when my dear friend told me that she had frozen hers before and it came out slightly watery but still yummy! Saved! My freezer is now full of squash slices. ;)

I love my garden. =)

Product Review- Noella Beauty Works' Natural Mineral Makeup!

Hello everyone! I haven't posted in a while.... sorry. Forgive me?

Ok, well a while ago I did a feature post for this awesome shop, Noella Beauty Works, and now I'm back to tell you that I tried her all natural makeup, and it is AMAZING. I'm not much of a makeup girl, but when I do wear makeup I want it to feel good, look good, not harm my skin, and stay nice for hours. This stuff does all of those things. When I wear it I completely forget I have it on it feels so natural!

Most of what I have bought from Jackie so far is eyeshadow. The colors are gorgeous!

Here I'm wearing Heron-  a matte color that is one of my favorites!

This is Blue Spruce. I'm not really into dark colors, but done right this one is really nice!

Ok, I look really pale here of some reason, but I love this color. It's Buttercup. It has a beautiful sheen to it without being sparkly. =)

Another of my favorites- Pink Smoke! This has a little more sparkle to it.

I also have Sleepy Blue....

 Smokey Plum....

 and Nude.... 

..... all of which are GORGEOUS! 

Since I loved the eyeshadows so much, I decided to try her all natural mineral foundation powder. I got samples of the Light and Medium Light shades, and for now I'm sticking with Light. Maybe as summer goes on and I get more tanned I'll need the Medium Light.

Here's a before and after without makeup and with it. 

Here I'm wearing Light foundation powder and Rose Gold eyeshadow (and some cheapo lipstick from Wal-Mart, haha)

A Few of My Favorites From Etsy!

These are some things from my friends on Etsy that I absolutely LOVE. Enjoy! =)

Lavender Rose Jasmine Sachets by Gardenmis

Last Autumn Leaf necklace by JBird'sGarden

Eco Friendly Hemp Whit Bath Puff by Thoughtful Gems

Victorian Ivory Vintage Rose Necklace by Robinhood Couture

Cooling Cucumber Toner!

This is a wonderful summery toner for tired or sore eyes, and it will also soothe sunburns! Thankfully I haven't had a sunburn yet this year, but my eyes have been sore and tired lately, and as soon as I can get a cucumber, I'll be trying this out. =) Cucumber juice is also wonderful for un-clogging pores and getting rid of blackheads!
 (Side note, drinking cucumber juice like what you'll use in this recipe will make your hair grow if you do it for a few weeks!=))

Chop up 1 cucumber, peel and all, and liquify in your blender. Strain of the clear green juice.

Mix:
1/4 cup of cucumber juice
2 tablespoons witch hazel
2 tablespoons distilled water
1 tablespoon vodka

Store in a container with a lid (preferably glass), and keep in the refrigerator as the cucumber juice spoils easily. Use as you would any other toner, but now you won't be spreading chemicals on your face! =)

Blog & Store Hop Linkies!

So, this week I got a surprise email saying that I had been picked as one of the Handmade Wednesday co-hosts for a blog hop linky that I've been using! =) Since I'm "co-hosting", here are the linkies for you to use! It's great exposure so link on up! =)

Blog Linky:




Shop Linky!

Natural Mouth Wash for Whiter Teeth! =)

I love coffee.. I admit it. I fix it like my New England born mom taught me. Lots of cream and enough sugar to sweeten it, and it's SO yummy. But. I have a terrible time keeping my teeth white because of this. I know that Hydrogen Peroxide is a GREAT thing to rinse your mouth with- it kills infections and bacteria and when used regularly it will whiten your teeth. But peroxide tastes NASTY! It's certainly not something I want to swish around my mouth every day. Plus it foams, and foams, and foams.... I usually end up rinsing my mouth out like three times trying to get rid of the taste and bubbles. Gross.

So, I looked up an all natural whitening mouth wash that maybe wouldn't taste so nasty, and the Strawberry Leaf Mouth Rinse is what I found! =) Straw berries have a high content of salicylic acid, which whitens and cleans your teeth by removing plaque. It also has antiseptic properties, which make this a great mouthwash alternative. And it's SO easy to make. Ready?

1/4 cup dried or 1 cup fresh (ORGANIC please!) strawberry leaves. (if you look in my fridge and see a ziploc full of strawberry tops, now you know why.)

1 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Ok, put your strawberry leaves in a heat proof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let them sit until they're completely cool. Strain out the leaves and throw them away. Add the lemon juice and stir well. Store this mouthwash in the refrigerator. Use daily, and rinse after swishing because you don't want to leave that acid sitting on your teeth.

And now, I'm off to clean my soon to be pearly whites.

We interrupt this afternoon to bring you....

Some beautiful Etsy finds! =) Enjoy!

Wrapped Pink Unakite Necklace by NaviWing on Etsy!

This shop is lovely, and I hope you'll go check it out! =) And while you're at it, I know she'd love to hear from you on her facebook page!!

Here's another find!

This beautiful bracelet is made by Marilyn 1545 on Etsy!

Ok, that's all I have time for today... I hope your day is going wonderfully! =)

Getting ready for the show! =)

So, I haven't blogged a lot lately, but I have a good excuse!! First, my husband does remodeling, and right now he's remodeling a kitchen. I've helped him a lot with this:

But the thing that's kept me busiest lately is getting ready for my very first craft show which is in 12 days!! I've made lots of soaps...

Bath salts...

Organic creams...

Liquid soap...

And I'm still working on making more bath teas and sugar scrubs! I've also been doing more business-y things, like getting this banner made up for my booth at the show....

Putting together a slide show to have playing on our computer on my table, and making up some brochures. I'm nervous about the show, but I'm really excited too! Rest assured, as soon as the show is over, I'll be listing my new products in my shop, but until then I'm trying to stock up (hoping for a good turnout at the show!!) I've been really enjoying coming up with new flavors for my soaps and things! =)

Gotta run! Have a wonderful day!

A Giveaway!

Hi everyone!! My sweet friend "Babs" recently started an awesome blog on her journey to a green lifestyle. It's entertaining, really interesting, helpful, cool (in an organic kind of way), and just all around awesome. And guess what? She's having a giveaway!! 
 The prize is my all natural loofah bath mitt and soap set, and the giveaway closes on the 30th! So head on over there and check it out! =)

Featured Etsy Seller ~ Thoughtful Gems

I'm SO excited to show you this shop today!!! Thoughtful Gems is one of my absolute FAVORITE Etsy shops! Everything is so beautiful, creative, and unique. One of my favorite things that they make are the plantable gift tags. They actually have wildflower seeds imbedded in them! It turns a tag into part of the gift!

Plantable Seed Paper Gift Tags

Here is my interview with Loretta of Thoughtful Gems:

First, tell us a little bit about who you are and what your shop is all about.
I’m a mompreneur who enjoys living a frugal organic lifestyle. My shops are an extension of me and reflect my passion for natural, organic, eco-friendly products. The beauty of this business is that I get to work with my best friend, my business partner AKA my husband.

How did you get started in your Etsy business?
My educational background is Electrical Engineering so I am sort of a techie, but I have enjoyed creating since I was a child. As a little girl, I sewed my doll’s clothing on my own sewing machine. When I left Corporate America, I already had a side business which allowed me to create and sell handmade items.

When we decided to expand the business to include online selling, I set up our own website. Then we further expanded by opening shops on Etsy.

Eco Friendly Hemp Heather Bath Puff

Do you have another job besides your shop?
No, I devote my time to the shops and custom orders that I receive.

What is the inspiration behind the beautiful and unique items that you offer?
Our family enjoys a natural lifestyle. My desire is to provide an eco-friendly option for the everyday items that everyone enjoys. Whether it is organic cotton pads for cleaning your face or hemp yarn for knitting that special gift, our desire is to meet that eco-friendly need.

What is your favorite thing in your shop?
My favorite item in my shop is the Organic Cotton Face Scrubbies in a Basket.

Organic Cotton Pastel & Green Face Scrubbies in a Basket

After viewing the price of organic cotton pads in a natural store, I was determined to provide an alternative that was organic, reusable and eco-friendly.

Where else can we find you? 
You can find us at our website, www.thoughtfulgems.com where we will soon be adding a blog. We also have a second shop on Etsy, www.thoughtfulgemscrafts.etsy.com that features natural, organic, eco-friendly yarn, plantable paper and craft supplies. On Zibbet, www.zibbet.com/thoughtfulgems, you will find a full selection of eco-friendly goodies. You can also find us on Twitter >www.twitter.com/thoughtfulgems and Facebook >www.facebook.com/thoughtfulgems

What is your favorite part of your business?
I enjoy hearing from customers when they either tell me how they will use the products or how much they enjoy what they received from me.

Anything else interesting we might like to know?
We are a Christian family that believes in treating others in the way that we would want to be treated. That extends into our business. We treat our customers with respect and provide quality products.

Handmade Ivory Flower Gift Tie Ons

Head on over and check out all the other awesome things in Thoughtful Gems, and Thoughtful Gems Crafts, because there's a lot more than I can show you in one post. And if you decide to order something (which I highly recommend!) let them know you heard about them from me! =)

Enjoy!

Guess What I Just Did!

I listed my yummy smelling, ultra moisturizing, completely natural Cocoa & Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub in my Etsy shop! I love this stuff!

Yesterday I had a friend tell me that someone told her "If you can't eat it, you shouldn't put it on your body", which makes total sense to me because anything we put on our skin ends up in our system almost as if we had eaten it. That's why it's so important to think about what we are putting on our skin.

This scrub is completely edible... in fact, it tastes really good- I tried it. :-b ( I probably shouldn't have admitted that...) Anyway, the point is, it's good for your skin! It'll leave you feeling soft and moisturized. I actually used it on my legs after shaving, because I have a lot of trouble with dry irritated skin, and it left my legs feeling and looking great!

So, head on over there and check it out! =)

April Showers Bring May Flowers

We've had tons of rain the last few weeks! I can't say that we've enjoyed it, but we're certainly better off than the many people who have had to deal with Tornados, overflowing rivers, and feet of rain. My heart goes out to those people. We've been blessed to be spared all of that!

What all of this rain has brought for us is rapidly growing plants, beautiful flowers, and lovely greening trees. Here's a few pictures of the early spring flowers around our house! =)

I love these red and white variegated ones! =)

These are some flower plants that are just now coming up. They're Lupines, which I've never grown before, but the flowers are lovely so I'm looking forward to them!

My husband Josh and I went for a walk a few days ago, and I took this picture of a neat little shack about a mile and half from our house.

I hope you've enjoyed these! I'm sorry I've been way from my blog for a while! I'll try and get back to updating more regularly this week! Have a great rest of the weekend! =)

And The Winner Is.......

Yes! I've finally selected the winner of my very first giveaway!! I used a random name picker from classtools.com to pick the winning name. =)

Are you ready?

Drumroll please......

The winner is Altogether Leather!! Congratulations!! I will be in contact soon!

Thank you SO much to all of you who entered! It was wonderful to have such a large number of entries for my first giveaway!! Keep an eye out, because I'm sure I'll have more giveaways in the future! =)

Giveaway Update! =)

I'm sorry I haven't announced the giveaway winner yet.. It's been a VERY busy week! I promise that I will get to it this week, so STAY TUNED! =)
 Thank you so much to all of you who entered!! I'm very excited to find out who the winner is! =)

The Story Of The Dogwoods

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to share! =)

 The story goes that when Jesus was awaiting crucifixion and when the crosses were being made the trees begged God to spare them, but the Dogwood begged not for it's life but for the life of Jesus.

The Roman soldiers picked the Dogwood.

The Dogwood pleaded with God to use another wood but God did not intervene. The Dogwood would now carry the body of Christ to his death and the Dogwood knew that for all eternity Dogwoods would be known for this horror.

God in his wisdom spoke to the Dogwood and understood the tree; in that time Dogwoods were tall straight trees that provided sturdy timber for homes and vessels, safety for the animals. bowls for food, utensils to cook with; and God spoke.

God told the Dogwood that the burden that was carried would be carried only one time, and from that time on Dogwoods would be knarly small trees with poor timber size so no Dogwood could be used in this manner again. God told the Dogwood that the Dogwoods would now be responsible for eternity to help people remember.

The Dogwood would only bloom for a very short time before and after the date of the crucifixion, the flower would have just 4 petals representing the hands and feet of Christ, they would be marked with a hole and the blood of Christ and the center of the flower would be circular raised and represent the head of Christ wearing the crown of thorns.

And so it is today, the Dogwood is a small twisted tree, it blooms at Easter and the flower....well look for yourself.

Happy Resurrection day! =)