French Pink

Thinking of springtime in Paris.

All I Ask is Love

All I ask is Love.

The Feminine Within

For all that we are, we are the beauty of the feminine within.

Never Underestimate Your Own Inner Beauty

We are all beautiful. Never underestimate your own inner beauty. Let it shine for all to see. You are unique and beautiful.

The Art of Feminine Beauty

The Art of Feminine Beauty

Women should be independent; we are not dolls on shelves, but a woman should take pride in her beauty and strive for a timeless look that still reflects her own unique style. Grace and eloquence have all but been lost in the female of today. Why can we not retain these qualities yet still express our own individualism? I fear that in our search for independence we have digressed to a point bordering barbarianism in our femininity due to our lack of pride in our appearance and manners and to our efforts to take our expression of freedom further and further beyond the realm of reason; to the point that we are cutting our noses off to spite our faces, as the saying goes.

So much too of the exterior appearance of the woman is due to the interior state of confidence, or lack of, and the level of self worth. If these things are low on the inside, this is reflected on the outside and of course extends to every area of our life, including our appearance as well.

It is important for women to find a balance between the inner and the outer, and then she will be confident in herself and this will show in the woman whom she presents to society or at home to herself.

Being contemporary, independent, modern women should not result in the loss of our most precious, blessed and natural state; our feminine beauty and our comfort with it.The art of feminine beauty is available to each of us within if only we will strive to bring it forth, inside and out.

Making Scented Sachets

It is the Christmas season and one thing I like to do every year is make herbal gifts. This year I am using the "shake" from my potpourri to fill sachets and they will be gifts for the elderly women in my area.

They are simple to make once you have your filler, which in my case, is my homemade potpourri. I grow, harvest and dry as many of the ingredients as I am able and early in the fall I make a huge batch. If you do not make your own, there are many alternatives that you may use such as cedar chips, lavender flowers, rose flowers, etc. Many of these can be purchased at the grocery or herbal store.

Cut a square of gauzy material, about 4x4 or 5x5 in., something sheer and porous so the scent can get out and the pretty ingredients are at least somewhat visible. Pour your filler into the center of the square. Gather the corners and tie with a pretty ribbon.

That's it; it's that easy! Now you have a beautiful gift. These are also great for weddings or wedding showers and it is quick and easy to make dozens of them.

Most women will love a sachet or two to drop in a drawer, a closet, their purse or just to sit in a pretty dish. Squeeze the sachet to really release the scent.

Visit my Etsy shop, Designs by Cheryl B. for more handmade gifts and vintage items

Beautiful Homemade Rose Soap Bars

These beautiful Victorian-looking soap bars are easy and fun to make. You can order your favorite mold online from any soap supply company. I purchase the pre-made soap base at Hobby Lobby where they also have a limited assortment of molds. The base is easy to work with and a pack will make about eight large bars.

Put one square of the the base into a microwave-safe large measuring cup or medium bowl. Heat on high, stopping and checking every fifty seconds to see if it is melted and to stir the lumps. When all is melted you will mix in dried rose petals and stir. For coloring, I use paprika, Just keep adding until you get the color you want. If you want a truer pink, you may use food coloring but many people prefer the natural spice colors and do not want artificial food coloring, so that is up to you. 

Next you will add the scent. Add about 15 drops of rose oil and stir.

Pour into the molds pre-greased with shortening (for easier removal but make sure it is smooth as any small lumps will show up later in the soap bar). Allow to set overnight so that they are good and hard inside.

Wrap or package into something pretty. Clear cellophane tied with a ribbon is nice as is vintage wrapping paper or something simple like strips of paper sack tied with raffeta. But be sure to store them air-tight to hold the scent in. 

Now you have your beautiful rose soap bars for your own luxury, to give as gifts or to start up a soap shop!