01.20.07
Posted in General at 1:37 pm by Debra
I hate to sound cliche, but there is a howling wind out there today. Brrrr! I don’t know about you, but I am lazy about wearing mittens and wind like this dries my hands out something fierce.
When the weather is cold and windy, no ordinary lotion will do. My hands need a thick, rich body butter to protect them from the elements. The thickness of the butter helps it stay on better and since it is all butters and oils, it really nourished that skin. And if you put it on while your hands are wet, the butter will really help hold in the moisture.
What’s my favorite butter right now? Well, I suppose since Sandalwood Vanilla is the one I carry in my bag and slather on throughout the day, I’d have to go with that. It crept its way into my bag for a reason!
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01.18.07
Posted in General, New Products, Scent-sational Information, Skin Care Tips at 1:56 pm by Debra
The newest, latest and greatest lip balm creation . . . just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Rose Lip Lush is smooth, moisturizing, protecting and wonderfully lush on your lips. But the flavor is even more lush . . . raw cocoa butter as yummy as the darkest Dagoba chocolate bar, rose otto for the sweet and unique, and vanilla to smooth it all together.
I think this is my favorite one yet . . .
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01.15.07
Posted in General, Healthy Ideas, Musings, Skin Care Tips at 8:44 pm by Debra
Since I use all natural products on my skin, in my house, on my kid, it seemed counterintuitive to head down to CVS to grab the latest color of blush, packed full of chemicals and preservatives that are potentially toxic.
I searched long and hard and found a mineral foundation that is the most natural I could find, and also one of the most affordable. Aromaleigh cosmetics are just wonderful! I use the Voile powder foundation and the Pure Blush in Rosewood, the perfect healthy glow.
They have lots of information to help you understand what is different about mineral makeup and also to help you make good color choices. And when in doubt, order the sample sizes and try them out. I did, and it was worth it, and the samples do last quite a while, too.
Just a word of caution, though, that left me VERY disappointed . . . their beautiful lipstick colors contain parabens. When a classy, woman-owned company successfully makes amazing, all-natural mineral makeup, I don’t understand how parabens, a preservative the FDA will tell you is safe, but has many health hazards, including being a possible carcinogen, can end up in one of the other products. There are a lot of companies that have natural lipstick, so I don’t know why Aromaleigh feels they cannot. Honeybee Gardens, Beauty Wise and Real Purity are just a few that make gorgeous, affordable, all-natural lipsticks.
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01.12.07
Posted in Fun Stuff, General at 8:36 pm by Debra
Just wanted to throw this fun article your way. If you are a House fan like I am, you’ll enjoy reading the interview with Hugh Laurie, the infamous Dr. House himself — or at least the actor that plays him.
Interesting facts? His real-life dad is a doctor, he finds it difficult to “do” an American accent (he’s British) and he loves motorcycles, like his character.
What put me off? He doesn’t believe in Chinese medicine, herbs or alternative medicine. Bah-humbug!
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01.11.07
Posted in Food, General, Healthy Ideas, Recipes at 3:19 pm by Debra
Quinoa is one of my favorite grains — it is wheat free, chock full of protein and has a unique flavor all its own. It is so versatile it can be prepared as a breakfast porridge or made into a yummy side dish, like I did last night.
All hail to Trader Joe’s for their bountiful selection of organic frozen produce. I keep a variety in my freezer at all times, and it sure came in handy last night!
1.5 c. dry quinoa
1 bag frozen organic spinach
1 bag frozen organic peas
1 large onion, chopped
1 large handful of fresh basil, sage, or parsley or a combination of them all, chopped
dressing
- 1/3 c. lemon juice
- 1/4 c. olive oil
Whisk together.
Prepare quinoa by cooking in 3 c. water; boil, cover and simmer until water is soaked up.
Meanwhile, saute onion in a little olive oil, and when translucent, add peas and spinach. When everything is heated through, add cooked quinoa, herbs and dressing. Serve hot, room temperature or chill before serving.
How good would this be with any number of additions — green beans, artichoke hearts, zucchini . . .
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01.10.07
Posted in General, Musings, Scent-sational Information at 7:23 pm by Debra
Owen went to Gymboree with my Mum and I sequestered myself in the basement for a 4-batch soaping session today. I can’t wait until these batches are cured, so I can use them, but I guess I’ll cut and wrap them, so you all can try them too! 
Lavender Grove is a blend of lavenders (French and Bulgarian), citruses and woods and evergreens — and a few of my little secrets. The resulting scent is hard to describe, but my “give me anything with lavender in it” customers will be lining up for this one. I’m looking forward to seeing how this scent develops and morphs as the soap cures. Will the woodsy scents stand out more? Or will the evergreen take over? Or will the lavender prevail? No matter which scent wins, it will be a lovely soap, with a peaceful, happy scent and just enough texture from the ground flaxseeds and lavender bud powder speckled throughout.
Verve is a new lemongrass based soap, something most of my customers love. I always try to balance the pungent scent of lemongrass with essential oils that tame it and round it out a bit. This time, vanilla, rosewood, sweet orange, and some woodsy and spicy essential oils were my choices. This will be a great wake up soap, and with streaks of lemon peel powder and calendula powder throughout, it will be toning and healing to the skin.
Shameless is the soap I am looking forward to the most. The scent of the orange blossom, patchouli, ylang, citruses and little secrets still lingers in my nose. Why Shameless? It is a bold blend that could be loved by two types of people — those that appreciate scent as a way of self-expession, and those that become just a little bolder when wearing this scent, in spite of themselves. And I have to say, I am quite proud of my swirls in this batch. I admit, oftentimes my swirls are really glorified streaks or even plops, but the swirls of Moroccan red clay turned out just gorgeous, or I am almost sure they did and I will know when I unmold and cut later this week!
Here’s today’s masterpiece — I actually haven’t decided on a name yet! It was going to be Citrus Rose, but that boring ol’ name doesn’t live up to the beauty of this soap, so now I am thinking about A Half-Dozen Roses Soap, or Rose Six Ways Soap, or something to that effect. I used 2 kinds of rose floral wax and rosewood to scent this soap (with a complex blend of citruses, vanilla and ylang), used rose hydrosol as part of the liquid, added a layer of soap that was colored with rose clay, and pressed red rosebuds and petals into the top of the soap. OK, maybe THIS is the soap I am most looking forward to . . .
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01.09.07
Posted in General, Healthy Ideas at 1:15 pm by Debra
I recently read a tip (which I would credit but I can’t remember where!) that you should always apply your moisturizer to wet skin. Not only does the moisturizer help lock in the hydration, but you also end up using less product.
This is something I have been doing — and advocating — for years. I strongly recommend the use of a hydrosol with your Custom Face Oil (often rose, but some skin types like lavender or neroli / orange blossom).
I also suggest smoothing on Body Oil after a shower, when you are still wet and hydrated.
And I love using Body Butter on wet hands, especially before bed, when I can put on cotton gloves and wake up with the most heavenly smooth skin imaginable.
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01.07.07
Posted in General, Musings at 2:43 pm by Debra
Debra’s Rhapsodies Blog is back and better than ever! We have new categories, new things to write about and new products to tantalize your senses. Have you missed us? Keep reading and you won’t know how you ever lived without your daily dose of Debra’s Rhapsodies . . .
Too much? Maybe, but I am sure excited about Blogging again and I hope you’ll enjoy reading!
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