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. ♥

this charming girl...episode 11

happy campers ☺

this beautiful & somehow nostalgic 'road trip'  treasury

created a while ago by the brilliant & hugely talented artist Meghann from the Botanical Theatre

reignited a certain spark forever in my soul - the desire to travel as a free spirit.

 visit Meghann's Etsy shop to discover her stunning pieces, all inspired by the subtleties of the natural world. Her images allow people to wander and explore what is not quite there, to see the beauty in the overlooked.

...and while that spark will have to patiently remain as a glowing ember for now, it has also brought my thoughts back to some treasured memories of Vintage Wheels... 

11. ~ a vw badge

i'm not sure what it is, but i have a cheerful soft spot for VW vehicles, like the Very Wonderful Beetle cars & the Vibrantly Whimsical camper vans! 

maybe it's happy childhood memories of camping in the countryside & trips to the seaside...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suttonhoo22/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

...that irresistibly cheeky love bug, Herbie...

...or slightly ahem, hazier memories of magical mystery tours of the UK following punk rock bands with my dear friends Ju & Rich in their (mostly) faithful & (always) old cheery orange camper van...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slimjim/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

...or even,  far more recent & responsible reunions supporting worthwhile causes like Oxfam, at wonderful summer music festivals.

whatever the attraction of these automobiles with a sunny disposition , this love story will continue it's journey, i'm sure. ♥

have a great trip! ☺

and the winners are....

blog award!

I was honoured to recently receive this inspiring  Award from the very talented Chriss from The Art of Zen.....Crochet.  Wow!, a huge thank you, Chriss. ☺

Please take a moment to check out her awesome blog, which is always a very interesting yet entertaining read - full of eco friendly ideas & recipes, and how to embrace life through applying the art of Zen to everyday tasks.

Her Etsy shop is a must visit too, featuring ethical, sustainable and beautiful Crochet designs, from  practical hemp drawstring market bags to exquisite scarves & tribal neckpieces made from recycled sari silk. ♥

By accepting the award, I must now complete the following 7 steps to give this award its proper respects!! They are:

1. Post the award on my blogspot.
2. Thank the person who gave it to me.
3. Link to the person who gave this to me.  See above!
4. Share a list of 7 things that you probably don't know about me... 
5. Choose 7 great bloggers to give the award to.
6. Share a link to their blogs.
7. Leave a comment on their blog.

Seven things you didn't know about me......probably!

1. I am a typical Libran - an arbitrator, eager to hear both sides, well balanced... although I'm sure my kids would beg to differ, lol!

2. I LOVE horses,  I was lucky enough to have a pony as a young girl & I long to own another horse one day...

3. I cycle (or walk) everywhere I can - including work.

4. I am Leeds United until I die. (...I have kinda adopted hockey as a backup sport to footy now I'm in Canada though)

5. I am extremely sentimental & hoard everything... I still have my very first pair of shoes!

6. ...the shoes are still coming, guess I am a bit obsessed.

7. As a teenager, I had a bright red Mohican (Mohawk hairstyle). 

8. A nice cup of tea or a pint of Cider always goes down well!

9. I would love to go into space.

10. If I was granted one wish it would be peace, health & happiness for everyone.  :-)


Here are the 7 bloggers I'm passing the award onto... check them out!
Inspirational Beading
Little Bear's Mom
From Misery To Happiness

Mommy's "Free" Time 
Liz-Anna's lakeside studio
Joanniel's Creations
the road to here

this charming girl...episode 7

Happy Easter ☺

7. ~ box of chocolates.

i ♥ chocolate.

need i say more? 

i hope the Easter

bunny brings

sweetness

& a smile

to all ☺

...and if you're

a chocoholic

like me, you'll love my mint 

choc queen vic

100% natural handmade

soap with fairtrade 

organic cocoa &

peppermint

essential oil.

for more gorgeous things going 'cheep'

check out the Etsy Oh, Canada! Team Easter egg hunt sale...on NOW!

previously...

the travel show (mini series)

longing to travel to new horizons or in search of some sunshine?

the end of Winter always brings thoughts of getting away from your usual surroundings for a much needed break.

before you head off be sure to check out marymary's Etsy finds for the perfect travelling accessories in her Storque blog post.

it includes the soapstar mini series - little travel size bars of handmade soap packed full of wonderful natural ingredients and aromas.

feel good things really do come in small packages ☺

easter egg hunt sale now on....join in!

I'm a proud member of the Oh, Canada! Team █ ♣ █ - join us in a special Easter Egg Hunt event which is now under way. Check out the awesome Oh,Canada! team shops here   or search for "ohcanadateam" under "all items" in the Etsy search box. 
Please note not all team members may be participating, and each store has has it's own unique sales & promotions.
soapstar is offering 20% discount on a different soap bar each day (from  Sunday 28th March thru til Monday 5th April).
wanna know which soap is on sale today? then put on your bunny ears and start hunting...there's a little Easter egg hidden alongside the soap going cheep, in it's Etsy listing  ~ so keep checking in at the soapstar Etsy shop to see if your fave is on sale that day! 

♥ have an eggscellent holiday weekend! ♥

this charming girl...episode 5

 it's black & white really....

5.~ a zebra bead. 

i adore zebras~it's a simple fact.

i'm not even sure why -maybe it's due to my love of horses combined with their striking good  looks, or maybe they represent my wild side vs my appreciation of the timeless style of classic black & white...

either way ~ my love is plain to see.

from perfume, tweezers 

& umbrellas ...

...to making friends

on a day out...

...to crossing the road at the uniquely wild & wonderful scramble crossing at yonge & dundas in downtown trono...

...you never know who

might cross your path !!

so when deciding which soap to make next? it was black & white...;-)

meet zbars.
███████black,white.left,right.day,night.
opposites attract with the amazing skin benefits of activated charcoal & white kaolin clay,  with a dash lemon scented tea tree oil.perfectly balanced for healthy skin.