chill.

this charming girl... part 18

...is cooling off!

18. ~ a popsicle (UK translation - an ice lolly!)

with all this hot, sticky weather ~ nothing beats a chilled, refreshing treat to cool off.

your skin is no exception ~ it will ♥ you for treating it to a soothing & moisturizing lotion or body butter like soapstar's aloe vera, cucumber & peppermint body butter 'aloe, aloe' whipped up from fresh, natural ingredients with shea & vitamin e. (pictured above)

after whipping up a fresh batch the other day, I was inspired to curate this cool treasury in gorgeous, summery greens ~ if only you could scratch the screen & sniff the refreshing scents of aloe, cucumber, peppermint & lime!

take a closer peek at http://www.etsy.com/cooling-off

if you need to chill out even more ~ check out  'aloe, aloe' cold process soap too. 

perfect for sun worshipers & skin exposed to the elements..

the 'aloe' aloe' range was inspired by the feel good & sensational summer sandcastle festival on victoria beach, cobourg, ontario. 

this year's sandcastle festival takes place on July 31st & August 1st.

join in the summer fun, then chill out. ♥

we ARE amused...

Happy Victoria Day!

the beautiful young Queen Victoria

birthday greetings...from one Victoria to another!

I'm proud to share my name with such an iconic Royal Lady, Queen Victoria ~ and what better place to celebrate Victoria Day, than in my hometown of Cobourg, Ontario's Feel Good town 

which boasts the stunning Victoria Beach...

...Victoria Park, abloom with Spring colours,

and this historic leading lady...

Victoria Hall ~ this beautiful grand landmark celebrates it's 150th anniversary this year with a fabulous Grand Ball in it's majestic Concert Hall, in honour of the Grand Ball with which Albert  (Prince of Wales) opened the Hall back in 1860. Find out more on the brilliant Oh, Canada! blog.

Victoria Hall is also the 'feel good' inspiration behind my

deliciously dark & minty handmade soap

Mint Choc Queen Vic

"This historic leading lady captures the classic combination of rich dark chocolate and cool, crisp peppermint aromas.

Featuring fairtrade organic cocoa and peppermint essential oil.

A right royal performance...encore!"

Mmmm, I don't know about you, but I might have to celebrate with some heavenly mint chocolate!

Happy Vicky Day indeed ♥

this charming girl...episode 9

the good earth

9. ~ a globe bead.

today is Earth Day. 

  a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. it was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.

my little glistening globe charm represents my love of maps & atlases of all kinds, from transportation guides like the London Underground Tube map to the amazing satellite images on Google Earth. I loved them so much I studied cartography at college.

...but it is also a reminder of what a beautiful, yet so fragile place the planet that we call home, is.

'earthrise'

this iconic photograph taken by apollo 8 astronaut, Bill Anders on Christmas Eve, 1968 - showing the Earth seemingly rising above the lunar surface perfectly captures exactly that sentiment .

 "...and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo eight has a message that we would like to send to you. 'in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. and the Earth was without form and void. and darkness was upon the face of the deep. . . . and God saw that it was Good." And from the crew of apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck.... and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."

— flight crew of Apollo 8, live telecast Christmas Eve, 1968.

the words of NASA's astronauts are fitting sound-bites for our future.  

"...suddenly, from behind the rim of the Moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth . . . home."

— Edgar Mitchell, apollo 14.

"...as we got further and further away, the Earth diminished in size. finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful you can imagine. That beautiful, warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. seeing this has to change a man."

— James B. Irwin, apollo 15.

play your part, however small - together we can keep the earth 'good'.

i will be at my local ecology garden in Cobourg, Ontario - at dawn, to celebrate Earth Day with 

members of the Mississauga Ojibways of Alderville First Nation, Rice Lake who will be conducting the Sunrise Fire Circle. 

06.30am ~ the ceremony begins...

'smudging' - 

The burning of sage, sweet grass, fungus is called smudging. It is traditionally used to prepare and purify a person, place or thing for a time of openness and truth in the presence of the Creator. Prior to everyone being smudged, the eagle feather is smudged.  Smudging is done for these reasons:

Mouth - so that anything we say will be positive and helpful to others who hear us.

Ears - that what we hear and listen to will be positive and help us to learn.
Eyes - that what we see is positive and we can see that in others, not to look at the outside.
Mind - that what we think or how we react will be positive, with only the well being of others in mind. Not to be clouded by anger, lust, greed, etc.
Heart - that our hearts will feel our pain and joy, to be able to heal and use that to help others.
Body - that we will use our bodies in positive ways and take care of our physical health.

songs performed in local native languages with the Alderville Drummers

strawberries are heart berries, connected to all - used for Spring ceremonies, and roots for purifying body. 

in support of Earth Day - profits from my lavender & lilac 'butterfly island' soap are all donated to the Cobourg Ecology Garden - available at my etsy shop. 

take-away gift bags including a guest size butterfly island soap &  travel size aromatic bath salts are available from local store, Peech's Market at 148 Third Street, Cobourg. profits also donated to the garden.

see previous post for more info...

coming soon from soapstar...an eco friendly household soap with orange oil & lemongrass - perfect for making your own environmental laundry detergent. check out this awesome recipe at the art of zen crochet blog. 

full feature on this wonderful & inspiring artisan & blogger to follow... check back out her etsy shop Earth Day sale too! ☺

gorgeous & green - fringed triangle scarf in sage green bamboo 

by chrisssmith22 

♥

this charming girl...episode 3 gardeners trowel & fork

My very own Mother Nature ♥

3. gardeners trowel & fork

today is Mother's Day in the UK...and tho i love & call Canada home now ~ i am proud to say i was born & raised in England. and so it seems the perfect moment for a little heart felt tribute to my late Mum ♥.

there are SO many wonderful thoughts, emotions & memories i could share with you about my Mum, she was the best.


but for now, let's begin with her amazing green fingers! she was an avid gardener and a font of all knowledge when it came to wild flowers, and the vibrant array of birds, bees & butterflies that call such habitats home.

whenever i see or smell a wild flower garden i only need to close my eyes, and i'm back at my parents little cottage in norfolk, amidst the fragrant oasis of colour that surrounded it.

her eco horticultural gene seems to have been passed onto most of us in some form or another, but her natural talent for encouraging Mother Nature to bloom at her best, is most obvious in 2 of my sisters who now create beautiful garden designs for others.

there's Jo in Connecticut with English Borders and my local sister, Anne who has several projects running from her tranquil river side location in Garden Hill, Ontario including the Edible Garden (seedlings, home made cheeses, jams & cordials etc) made from her lovingly tended home-grown plants & produce.

Mum must be looking over me still, as i have found a special place near my home ~ the Cobourg Ecology Garden which is full of the flora, fauna & spirit she adored.  whenever i feel melancholy, full of excitement or just happy to be,  i cycle there and breathe in the joyous aroma. it never fails to make me smile ☺

to support this gorgeous little area of natural beauty

i have created butterfly island ~ a heavenly handmade soap bar. For each bar sold $2 will be donated to the Ecology Garden.

"An oasis of natural beauty ~ wild flowers, organic herbs and fragrant blooms. The gentle buzz of a passing bumble bee & the perfect symmetry of a monarch's wing.
Lilac, lavender & lilies in a soft purple haze...
Love is like a butterfly ♥"

if love is like a butterfly, shouldn't we all plant more lilac, buddleia or lavender and share the love....?

for Mum x

previously....this charming girl ...the story starts

love the soap? you might also like lawn & order

hold the front page...life's little treasuries (take two)

i know most soap stars are used to spotlight &  the press attention but believe me, it was a shock (an adrenalin filled fabulous one) to find one of my soapstar cast on the Etsy front page yesterday!

lawn & order's debut appearance was boosted by a wonderful supporting cast of gardening greats.

thank you to KB Shimmer- the producer of the 'how does your garden grow' treasury ♥

can't wait for summer? meet lawn & order ~freshly cut grass scent handmade soap

the grass really is greener...

when winter was fashionably late....

so it's here at last, like a long lost friend - just when i'd almost forgotten it hadn't visited yet. i awoke to that soft, silent, pristine blanket of pure whiteness...it may not be everyone's favourite guest but it's beauty is always welcome in my heart, evoking wonderful wistful childhood thoughts of Narnia.

Oh, Canada! team spirit...

Go Canada!

'dazzling lakes, stunning beaches, beautiful landscapes with never ending skies, trees ablaze with fall colour, sleek cityscapes, cosmopolitan cafes full of delicious treats...'

I moved to Canada with my family, from England nearly 2 years ago & settled in the 'feel good' town of Cobourg on the breathtaking shores of Lake Ontario. I find wherever I travel in this beautiful, I'm uplifted by the most wonderful sights, scents and sounds.

These inspired me to create something special that would evoke all the feel good senses and bring a smile to the face. I am not alone...

I have discovered a tremendous wealth of creative, innovative & hugely talented artisans in an astoundingly wide variety of different fields, country wide.

They did not hesitate to welcome me into a new family - Oh, Canada Team Etsy

View their remarkable work & feel their warmth at...

oh,canada! teamblog

oh, canada team! forum on etsy.com

oh, canada! team facebook page

oh,canada! team flickr