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! =)

A Giveaway!

Hello everyone! Guess what?! I've decided to have my very first giveaway on this blog in honor of going over 100 followers! =) I'm very excited!!

 The giveaway items are: 1 bar of my Lavender Soap, and 1 tin of my organic Lavender and Citrus Hand and Body cream!

The giveaway is open until May 1, and the winner will be announced in the following couple of days.

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory: Visit my Etsy shop and tell me what your favorite item is: 1 entry

Optional but highly appreciated! =):
Sign up for my newsletter: 1 entry

Follow this blog and leave a comment with your name: 2 entries

Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment with your twitter name: 2 entries

Blog or Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with a link: 3 entries

That's it! Make sure you leave me your email address so that I can contact you if you win! Have fun!

Lavender Bath Teas...

Have you ever taken a bath with a bath tea? Wow it's nice! I love soaking in a hot tub with the relaxing scent of Lavender filling the room. *sigh* Since I enjoy that so much, I thought others might too, so this week I added my Organic Lavender Bath Tea to the shop!

I have sewn the dried organic lavender buds into cotton cheesecloth pouches to keep them from making a mess in your tub and clogging up your drain. All you have to do for a wonderful, relaxing bath is throw one of these tea bags into your tub as it is filling! If you swish it around and let the water run over it you'll get the maximum amount of beautiful scent from the lavender.

Try this tea... I guarantee you'll love it! =)

Grow Your Hair Out Girl! Natural Hair Growth Tips

Good morning ladies! =) Yesterday I was talking to a dear friend about hair, and our conversation inspired this post. Are you trying to grow your hair and it just doesn't seem to want to grow? My friend and I have been having trouble with this for a while. It's frustrating and I have been looking for some natural remedies to help. I have found some easy natural recipes to encourage hair growth and I thought I'd share them with you!

Rosemary Hair Oil

Rosemary is believed to stimulate hair growth. Mixed with olive oil, it makes a hair oil that can be massaged into the scalp. It smells good too! Might make you hungry. =)

Rosemary by TTLens Photography on Etsy

2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together the rosemary and olive oil. Heat gently in the microwave or on the stove top, but do not boil. In the microwave, heat on High for 2 minutes.
 Cool the oil mixture completely, and let sit for 2 or 3 days to allow the oil to absorb all of the essential oils from the rosemary.
 Filter out the solids in the oil by pouring through a funnel lined with a coffee filter. Pour into a clean bottle. Use by massaging a small amount into your scalp after shampooing and before bed. Letting it soak on your scalp all night will maximize the benefits, rather than only letting it sit for an hour or less and washing it off.

Jalapeno Hair Tonic

This tonic comes from Mexico where it is used to keep hear thick and shiny. Jalapeno peppers are used to prevent hair loss by stimulating new growth. A small amount is rubbed into the scalp by both men and women before bed. BE CAREFUL with these peppers, and wash your hands WELL before touching your face or eyes. The juice will burn. Castor oil is also said to promote hair growth and shine.

2 small or 1 large jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup vodka
2 tablespoons castor oil

Chop the jalapeno pepper into tiny pieces and place in a small ceramic or glass bowl. Pour vodka over the peppers and allow to sit for several days.

Spicy Jalapenos by JenniferPughStudios on Etsy

 Strain off the vodka and discard the peppers. Add the castor oil to the pepper vodka and pour into a clean bottle.
 Shake before using. Massage a small amount into your scalp before going to bed (it will cause a slight tingling sensation on your scalp).                            




Have fun experimenting!! =)
                                                                                                                                                                                           

Green Tea & Rose Facial Soap and Koffee Kitchen Soap!

This week I will be adding my new Facial Soaps to the shop! =) The first ones available will be Green Tea & Rose. I made a lovely tea of green tea, organic rose buds, and organic jasmine, chamomile and lavender buds to serve as the water base for this soap. With added honey, and organic essential oils of Palma Rosa, and Sweet Orange, it has a lovely light sweet scent, and is gently cleansing, healing and nourishing for your skin. Green Tea & Rose facial soap is an olive oil based soap. Olive oil is one of the best oils for your face. It is moisturizing, but can still be used on oily skin because of it's unique balancing qualities. I have a friend that cleared up bad acne by cleansing her face with straight olive oil! I've also added organic Jojoba oil, which is very close in makeup to our skins own natural oils, which makes it another great balancing oil.

The tea for my Green Tea & Rose soap steeping in the sun. =)

All together this soap is wonderful for your skin. I use it, and after washing my face I never have the same dry feeling that I usually have after using regular soap. My skin feels fresh and clean, and my complexion is clear.
 Keep an eye out for this soap! I haven't been able to take pictures yet due to a lack of sunny days, but I will be getting them this week Lord willing! =)

In other news... The Koffee Kitchen bar is back! =) The new batch is finally ready for use! Click the picture below to go check it out.

Featured Etsy Seller ~ Brianna Paige Designs

Today I am VERY excited to introduce Brianna Paige Designs to you! Brianna Paige Designs is owned by Patty and Brian, two very talented people if you ask me! =) Their shop is handmade items for weddings including rustic accessories, garters, flower girl baskets, ring bearer pillows, candles and more. I think their items are absolutely beautiful, and I think that you will agree! 

 Tell us a little about you:
I am a SAHM of 3 children. The twins (boy/gir) Orie and Allie are 12 1/2 and Brianna is 2 1/2. Brian is my significant other. I was a desktop support technician for almost 4 years before some medical problems forced me home. We live in a small town in Iowa. 

And your shop:
How did you get into making these beautiful custom decor items?
I had been selling on Ebay for years with the candles and then I added garters. Back in Oct we opened up a shop on Etsy as Brianna Paige Designs and kicked it up to help with me not working. We have had some really good success on Etsy and I hope for even better. 
Between Brian and I we each have our own things that we work on. I do most of the paperwork, networking and ways to make our site better and he does the woodburning and making the lanterns. (You don't want him touching a sewing machine.)

What is the inspiration behind your items? 
I'm on many blogs and wedding sites and watch the trends. My personal style is the rustic/shabby chic style so it comes natural to me.

Where else can we find you besides Etsy?
We just opened a shop on Zibbet that has the same things as are in our Etsy shop. You can also visit our blog: www.briannapaigedesigns.blogspot.com

Do you have any advice for other sellers? 
Continually learn ways to make your site better. Read in the forums, join teams, promote, and network. 

Any random fun fact you'd like to share? :-) 
I love any and all kind of disaster movies and shows. My favorite one is The Day After Tomorrow.

Suntan Oil ~ It's That Time Again! (Almost)

Spring is here for lots of us, and although where I am winter is still trying to stick around, I know it won't last much longer. After being in doors all winter I have gotten pretty pale and I'm ready to get a good tan again. =)
 I know some people are afraid of tanning in the sun because we've been told that it's bad for our skin and we'll end up riddled with skin cancer, but these reports are greatly exaggerated. The actual risks of damage from the sun are very small compared to the benefits, like Vitamin D ( more important than you realize!!), and cancer prevention! Check out this great article by Dr. Mercola on the benefits of sun exposure.   You can also read his free report on sun exposure here.

The Invention Of Light fine art photograph by Irenesuchocki on Etsy

 Since most readily available sunscreens are full of skin-cancer causing chemicals, I won't use them. There are some really great natural alternatives that you can make for yourself though! My grandma never used sunscreens. She always used a good tanning oil, and her skin was always beautifully tan and soft. She only lived to her 60's because of lung cancer due to smoking for 50 years, but she never had any trouble with skin cancer or any other skin problems.
 To start with when you're trying to get a tan, you'll probably need an actual sunblock, which is easily made using these readily available ingredients:

Sunblock
1 tablespoon zinc oxide
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seed oil (sesame oil has a high rate of UV ray absorption, although it is not a suncreen)
1 tablespoon rosewater (found at health-food stores, liquor stores, and some drug stores)

 Mix the zinc and sesame seed oil together and heat them gently either in the microwave or over a double boiler, and stir to mix. Remove from heat and slowly add rosewater, stirring thoroughly. Allow to cool completely, and store in a clean container with a tight-fitting lid.
 This is lighter to use than straight zinc oxide, and won't feel as heavy. It's completely safe to use on all areas of your skin.

Once you have an established tan, you can use this great suntan oil to keep your skin protected and moisturized.

Cocoa Butter Suntan Oil
1/2 cup light sesame seed oil (jojoba oil is another great nourishing, healing and protecting oil that could be used)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cocoa butter

Cocoa butter is a good natural sunscreen as well as being moisturizing and healing. The Sesame or Jojoba oil are also great for your skin and make the oil lighter in texture and less heavy on your skin. Coconut oil is excellent for your skin, helping to provide a protective layer over your skin, and lock in moisture.
To make the oil, mix all three components and heat gently to melt the solid oils. Stir thoroughly and cool completely. Use generously! =)

Happy tanning!

Sol- Fine Art Photograph by Alicia Bock on Etsy

Sorry I haven't posted lately...

... But I've been very busy this week!! I have been helping my husband with his construction business. We're building a privacy fence for some people. It's been hard work! The weather has been COLD, windy, and one day we got sleeted and snowed on. BRRRR
 I got my eyeshadows this week that I ordered from Noella Beauty Works!

They are awesome! =) I'll be doing a review post on them this week, so keep and eye out!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!