Gilded Living

A few years ago I found myself living out a dream: I was sitting in the studio audience of the Oprah show watching the taping of an episode of her final season!  The guest was Martha Stewart! (For those of you who don't know, I have a daughter named Martha...I'm kind of a big fan...)  As I sat there pinching myself, I saw a women with long hair pull out two twisted pieces of metal and pull her hair into a perfect bun in about 15 seconds flat. As a fellow long-haired girl I was in awe. I wasted no time asking her about the products during the next commercial break.  The next day I picked up my very own  Goody Spin Pins ! As Oprah would say, they are one of my Favorite Things.   I'll admit that they do take some practice and getting used to, but over the years I've mastered many different quick but stylish hair styles with these little gems...even my my Martha's waist-long, super thick hair!  As I type this, I have three small messy buns at the nape of my

Dearest Anthropologie, You are a long-time, trusted friend...one who has proven to be there for me time and time again throughout each stage in life.  Our relationship began back in 1998 when I was on the market for a new blazer to wear to my college internship interview.  Of course you came through for me.  And as I saved money earned from that first job (landed in part, I'm sure, to my stylish jacket), I peppered my apartment with unique home goods I found in the pages of your catalog.  When my family expanded, you did too, opening brick and mortar stores in Chicago where you displayed a lovely dress for my bridal shower, detailed dog sweaters for my dear wire fox terrier Skone, unique shirts I could disguise as maternity clothing, and baby hats and sweaters for my children during the holiday seasons.  Oh, Anthro (can I call you Anthro?), how do I describe the joy I felt when it was announced you were opening a store in Milwaukee onl

I am a faithful person...to family, friends, and products that work.  Aztec Secret is near the top of my Favorite Product list; I use it religiously each week as a face mask (and many other ways that I'll get into shortly) and have given it as gifts to friends.  This magical clay is a must-have in your medicine cabinet!  What is it?    Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is bentonite clay from Death Valley, California, that is sun-dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees.  The unique structure of the molecules in Aztec Secret carry a negative electron charge. This comes from the valance electron count from the specific minerals found in the clay. When a spectographic analysis is done on Aztec Secret, almost every mineral found on Earth is present.  When a facial or clay poultice is applied to the skin it forms a negative charge. Poisons and toxins stored in the epidermis have a positive charge - Aztec Secret Indian Healing Cla

I have tried just about every natural deodorant on the market in the past 20 years...all with disappointing results.  I was about to give up on my search when I happened upon a recipe for one a few years ago.  Without much hope, I whipped up my first batch of homemade deodorant and was pleasantly surprised to find myself thrilled with the results!  It even works on my husband.  Even through summer. I'm not exaggerating when I say I whipped it up...it takes minutes to make and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand: coconut oil, baking soda and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch).  If you want to get fancy, you can add some essential oil (I prefer tea tree oil and lavender).   Once you've mixed it together, you can either keep it in a jar and apply it with your hand or a cloth or you can refill traditional deodorant containers like you see in my photo above.  No matter how you apply it, you'll need to be sure it's either rubbed in completely or

The short and sweet version:   I am a 40-some year old communication consultant and homeschooling mother of three (one son, two daughters) who wakes up each morning and does her darndest to make the most of her days, filling it with shared laughter, good food, natural beauty, healthy habits, stylish clothes, and memorable experiences...while attempting to age gracefully and (hopefully) slowly. The "embrace my long-winded, Irish roots" version: I am pretty firmly settled into my 40s. And I've had a fun time getting here; I counted down to my 40th birthday with a random act of kindness each week for the 40 weeks leading up to the big four-oh. I documented the journey on the Kindness Countdown blog to entertain and hopefully inspire others to spread niceties in their own lives. This was especially important for my own family, my children being a formative 10, 8, and 5-years old during the project. It was exceedingly rewarding to bless others alongside