tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87488445118738162502024-03-05T11:44:04.599-08:00Green Blossom BeautyMay Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-9890940570846473562011-04-12T12:29:00.001-07:002011-04-12T12:53:03.137-07:00May Lindstrom SKIN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtoWjDyqQ2y7JMGu_MR7M-yZtFzGYmQ7BVZaWie3a-ULlmOso7_xx1eZs3QuqYmyDR_j_0EFmHbmMRO_esVY0jEzYaIeS0n47nYi7Xp583N7bkHQjxZieeG1oeWHzMosM0PptP5XC4Fec/s1600/photo+6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtoWjDyqQ2y7JMGu_MR7M-yZtFzGYmQ7BVZaWie3a-ULlmOso7_xx1eZs3QuqYmyDR_j_0EFmHbmMRO_esVY0jEzYaIeS0n47nYi7Xp583N7bkHQjxZieeG1oeWHzMosM0PptP5XC4Fec/s320/photo+6.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594786739160050626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=" color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Some days feel like Christmas morning, even when it's April. </span> It's been feeling like that for months now. I wake excited, giddy with anticipation with just the slightest bit of nervous butterflies and eyes wild like a child. I go about my days feeling like I have some sort of secret that I am just bursting to unveil. </span> <span style=" color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />I have spent the last few years creating a truly luxurious family of skin care products and now that the recipes are fully tweaked, the packaging is in final proofing stage and I've fully invested my nest egg, it's time to leap.</span> <b style=" color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"><br /><br />I strongly believe it is more important to be conscious of what you do not put on your skin rather than what you do. </span>That said, I also believe that luxury skincare can offer an experience for your senses that goes far beyond simply getting clean.<br />I formulated my line using all natural, ethically sourced organic and fair trade raw ingredients from all around the world. The idea was to bottle nutrition and stimulation for your skin, designed to heal and harmonize, awaken and enliven the skin's own natural radiance.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">More importantly, it's about creating a space to take time for yourself - to indulge in something delicious a few minutes each day to recharge, refuel, and acknowledge our own delightful goodness.<br /><br /></span>The line is free of petrochemicals, parabens, chemical preservatives and artificial ingredients. It is gluten free, vegan, non GMO and cruelty free. I have incredibly high standards about what I am doing. I literally created this line one raw ingredient at a time in my home studio - no scientists, no chemists, no outside labs, no business people, no generics I plastered my name to.<br />I have been a one woman operation up to this moment. I'm opening up and beginning to form my team of passionate players. </b><b style=" color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />A couple of years ago, this was just a flicker of an idea and now I am looking at label proofs and setting up meetings with buyers and thinking about things like spreadsheets and marketing and sales (entirely foreign territory!).<br />There has already been a lot of interest in what I am doing, companies and individuals reaching out to me wanting to support and involve themselves. It's incredibly encouraging and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">For years I made skincare for myself because I battle with chemical sensitivities and was consistently let down by what I found in the marketplace. </span>I had no idea the blends I threw together in my kitchen would evolve into something bigger, something that would make me take the leap and start my own company. It's a scary, but incredibly invigorating feeling to be where I am right now.<br /><br /></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >It's April 12th and it's Christmas morning. The gifts are abundant and I am so incredibly blessed. </span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Thank you for sharing in my journey.</span><br /></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-73807010941508274192011-03-17T13:54:00.000-07:002011-03-17T14:07:50.679-07:00Is There Something in the Water?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzAJBiZHZjJf2CALrisy_vatWf9BXTQ08v65DDXdXSV95v0xZaSC20pw2SVODNZeM2RwdwIiDbu5mr4JXce3t9-PQl_UbOBamzI_M__3VjVFrP0yODHI4InGgBSn7FgMyAc8TijqZZSdY/s1600/babybundle-pola.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzAJBiZHZjJf2CALrisy_vatWf9BXTQ08v65DDXdXSV95v0xZaSC20pw2SVODNZeM2RwdwIiDbu5mr4JXce3t9-PQl_UbOBamzI_M__3VjVFrP0yODHI4InGgBSn7FgMyAc8TijqZZSdY/s320/babybundle-pola.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585158012951801874" border="0" /></a><br /> <div class="art-article"><b style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);font-family:georgia,serif;">A couple weeks ago two of my best friends gave birth to a little boy, my sister delivered her second a few months back, a few other close friends are expecting and it seems every age appropriate Hollywood celebrity is sporting a <span class="il">baby</span> bump.<br /><br />As a newlywed, I can't deny that I've had <span class="il">baby</span> on the brain at least a little bit as well. But what really has my attention is the massive amount of bath products aimed towards our little ones. The plethora of bubbling, foaming, highly scented and colored bottles offered up are tempting buys as there are few things cuter than the sight of a <span class="il">baby</span> splashing around in a super sudsy bath. But is it healthy?<br /><br />The answer is no.<br /><br />Small children do not produce body odor the way that teenagers and adults do. While it is important to keep your <span class="il">baby</span> clean and fresh for both of your comfort, sponge baths are the ideal choice especially in the infant stage. Sink and tub baths can also be great and water alone is the perfect way to rinse away nearly any smell creating mess.<br /><br />If your <span class="il">baby</span> has dry skin, add a drop or two of apricot, olive or another pure and gentle oil to the water. Soap is largely unnecessary if you are washing away food, milk and spit up with a soft cloth or sponge. Babies love splashing in clear water that doesn't irritate eyes too!<br /><br />Soaps and shampoos in bathwater can irritate sensitive skin and aggravate <span class="il">baby</span> eczema and psoriasis. <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">Bubble baths have been linked to urinary tract infections so some experts recommend avoiding them until your child is at least 3 years old. </span>Bubble bath formulas, as well as strong soaps that contain deodorants or potent scents, can irritate the opening of your <span class="il">baby</span>'s urethra if the soap is not rinsed off completely. "This makes it painful to urinate so the child ends up holding the urine and voiding incompletely, which can lead to UTIs," says Shelly J. King, a pediatric urology nurse practitioner at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.<br /><br />If you can't resist the bubbles or have one of those super dirty days where water alone just won't cut it, Dr. Bronner and California <span class="il">Baby</span> both offer fantastic options for bathtime:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/BAB.htm" target="_blank">http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/<wbr>BAB.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.californiababy.com/bath-time.html" target="_blank">http://www.californiababy.com/<wbr>bath-time.html</a><br /><br />Happy bathing!</b> <p><span style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p></div>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-88363571564456376682011-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:002011-02-26T12:12:17.740-08:00A Bit of Bali at Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPnO7rfSLDRIzVq2rTVeGfNLS0Hgdgz89xAsfCD2zA42JQJokpBAxb4m08Q1Wc_60rPNVVURYY63K1ByV8o8O9x2aWRlCRINU7oGlvYb9GbIHH-5zpFXl4MIwERyOiNgnA8EPsLyIAl9-/s1600/bali.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPnO7rfSLDRIzVq2rTVeGfNLS0Hgdgz89xAsfCD2zA42JQJokpBAxb4m08Q1Wc_60rPNVVURYY63K1ByV8o8O9x2aWRlCRINU7oGlvYb9GbIHH-5zpFXl4MIwERyOiNgnA8EPsLyIAl9-/s320/bali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578093596286215234" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><strong>A Beauty Treatment That Will Make Anyone Feel Like a Balinese Princess </strong></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">After jumping back to a life full of stressors and to-do lists, I daydream of hopping a plane back to Indonesia where I recently spent my honeymoon receiving $10 massages, soaking in bathtubs filled with aromatic frangipani blossoms, and being in the focused care of Agung—the master body worker whose magic hands knew just how to melt me into a very happy pile of pink putty. I was in married bliss, but the beauty treatments in Bali could take anyone to cloud nine. But the good news is, creating a taste of these ancient beauty rituals is easy and fun!</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;"> Since as far back as 800 AD, Indonesian healers created recipes using the herbs and botanicals of their tropical forests and jungles to keep skin healthy and glowing. The queen of treatments is lulur—the spice and yogurt exfoliation and body polishing process practiced in the palaces of central Java since the 17th century. Balinese princesses were given the royal treatment each day for forty days prior to their wedding. Talk about a luxe introduction to married life!</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">The traditional ritual begins with a deep, full body Balinese-style oil massage. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">Then comes the lulur paste - a four hundred year old tribal recipe rich in warming herbs and spices which helps stimulate blood circulation to promote a glowing complexion. This fragrant blend is rubbed over the entire body, sending heat into the cells and chasing away dead skin. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">The ritual finishes with a spicy essential oil and milk bath traditionally decorated with several handfuls of fresh and deeply scented flower petals. Anyone would love to have this pampering experience every day for forty days or even one! </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><br /></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="font-size:medium;">Follow the routine I’ve recreated for a delicious indulgence in the comfort of your own home.</span></strong></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><strong>1.</strong> Practice some serious self-love and treat your body to a rub down with your favorite massage oil. Better yet, blend up a quick batch of your own with virgin coconut oil and a few drops of essential oils of lavender, jasmine, ylang-ylang or sandalwood.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><strong>2.</strong> I came across several variations on the recipe for lulur. Here's my take on it (feel free to improvise with what you have available).</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">In a coffee grinder (or with a mortar and pestle if you're really ambitious), combine a mixture of 1 cup plain dry rice, 2 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp. sandalwood powder (or 2 drops sandalwood essential oil), 2 tsp. clove, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. ginger, and 2 tsp. nutmeg. Pulverize to a fine powder before adding enough water to make a paste.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;">Spread over your entire body, taking at least fifteen minutes to fully love every limb and toe and curve.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><strong>3.</strong> Once the lulur has dried, exfoliate by firmly rubbing the paste off the body.</span></p> <p face="georgia" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:medium;"><strong>4.</strong> Rinse in the shower until the mixture is removed and then drench your wet skin with handfuls of natural yogurt or coconut milk.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:medium;"> <strong>5.</strong> Sink into a warm bath (flowers, salts, milk and essential oils encouraged!) and take note of how blessed you already are.</span></p>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-31779131537519659582010-09-20T16:53:00.001-07:002010-09-20T16:56:29.531-07:00Yum.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdJOYsc4ZNSJtjWaXWGKGMjq3i9pFvF6nV5bYunh1pLd1Z-nnDo7mMmofye5cF6Flhqp7R2ycS_BydjRjDAzVBMNDjj8sbUPBSAhK-YfPonAAaZdG1F8ALos1XKYshLt1fJhIQtOj1P9k/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdJOYsc4ZNSJtjWaXWGKGMjq3i9pFvF6nV5bYunh1pLd1Z-nnDo7mMmofye5cF6Flhqp7R2ycS_BydjRjDAzVBMNDjj8sbUPBSAhK-YfPonAAaZdG1F8ALos1XKYshLt1fJhIQtOj1P9k/s320/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519148124823163602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" >I couldn't resist sharing my new find.....</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" >I'm thigh deep in moving boxes for the eighth time in just over two years. This time I'm hoping to stay put for a bit. In the mean time, chaos ensues.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" >And what better to soothe the madness than a bit of chocolate? How about a truly yummy little tub of rich, super creamy, ultra-delicious chocolate pudding... that just happens to be dairy free, gluten free, soy free, low glycemic, nearly raw (their organic coconut milk has been pasteurized) and at only 124 happy little calories - an awesome treat no matter what your lifestyle is.</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />I am absolutely a dessert girl, and a picky one at that. I will always go for the most decadent item on the menu and consider low cal/low sugar/low anything in the dessert world equal to low flavor... highly unacceptable for the meal course that is all about decadence. </span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />Stinkey Monkey (yup, that's there name!) does not disappoint. The four ounce tub is small, but not too small. Not cheap, but far less than most super hoity-toity raw/vegan/gluten free foods ($3.99 at my local market). And seriously big on flavor and texture - hard to do in even standard dairy/sugar puddings.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:georgia;" >I'm impressed. It's luscious. Go get some. </span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://stinkeymonkeypudding.com/">www.stinkeymonkeypudding.com</a>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-73508854352191089372010-07-07T18:15:00.000-07:002010-07-07T19:29:04.035-07:00Those long and lovely locks....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UshD0c2gBxMEGuZR8g7t1ruFirUjFhnBUXwJZ3HoHjf2EtwUVcbvUpnCOtbpUBgo8wj0nY778b_QY03NyEAL6tcQBBCba3JajHwC8R-9NHS8IRFT_RryRR4rauPmA7D27Ih2LGfL-s8m/s1600/beautiful-long-hair-w-flowers-girl.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UshD0c2gBxMEGuZR8g7t1ruFirUjFhnBUXwJZ3HoHjf2EtwUVcbvUpnCOtbpUBgo8wj0nY778b_QY03NyEAL6tcQBBCba3JajHwC8R-9NHS8IRFT_RryRR4rauPmA7D27Ih2LGfL-s8m/s320/beautiful-long-hair-w-flowers-girl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491355260286669922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >Fairy tales are full of maidens with luxurious hair - long and glistening, full of body, blinding with shine and va-va-voom... with not a split end or dry spot in sight. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />We all want it. I want it without having to work too hard for it. I am a no-fuss woman with little interest in hair dryers and zero time for rollers, irons, straighteners and the latest styling gadget. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />I am a wash and wear woman who just wants this lion mane of mine to be longer, stronger and slightly less out of control if I let it go free.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >I haven't exactly reached a peaceful agreement with my feisty mid-back curls, but I'm getting closer.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />There are actually lots of things you can do to optimize hair growth and overall vitality. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >Here's a handful of my favorites:</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > <br /><br /> * Eat more spicy food. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, </span><a style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WG5-4NYJS61-1&_user=10&_coverDate=10%2F31%2F2007&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1377031473&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=eab3a5a612aced0f5b4e492dfc1860db" onclick="'trackOutboundLink(" target="_blank">has been shown to promote hair growth</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > by mimicking natural human growth factors. As a pretty strong side bonus, this same compound causes an increase in your metabolic rate by raising body temperature, helping burn more calories immediately after a meal. Besides a slight uptick in metabolism, spicy foods also may increase feelings of satiety. Yum yum yum. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > <br /><br /> * Avoid shampoos with sodium laureth sulfate, benzophenone-3, benzyl alcohol, DMDM hydantoin, and sodium lauryl sulfate. These detergents and alcohols are hard on the hair, causing it to be dry and brittle. You want a gentle moisturizing or replenishing shampoo. My favorite is by </span><a style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" href="http://www.alaffia.com/hair-care">Allafia</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >, followed closely by anything from </span><a style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" href="http://johnmasters.com/haircare.htm">John Masters</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >.<br /><br /> *</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >Keeping your long hair moisturized is an absolute must. Commercial hot oil treatments are good depending on the purity of the oils used, but my preferred and super cheap natural alternative is a mixture of warm rosemary oil and olive oil worked into the hair and left for 45 minutes under a warm towel. Jojoba oil and coconut oil are also excellent options to moisturize dry hair.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > <br /><br /> * Have a bounty of biotin. Naturally occurring in nuts, oats, brewers yeast, rice, tomatoes, carrots, romaine, and chard, this vitamin's best-known dietary role is in hair and nail health, as a deficiency can cause hair loss </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >and weak, brittle nails. Sometimes called Vitamin H, biotin is actually one of the B-Vitamins. It is very important in cell growth and the production and metabolism of fatty acids, also playing a solid role in maintaining blood sugar and the body's energy level.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > <br /><br /> * Give yourself a scalp massage. They increase circulation, helping to stimulate your hair follicles as well as easing stress which is a major contributor to slowing growth and a countless number of other ills. Take your time, enjoy the experience... or better yet, have a friend of lover lend a hand and do a trade!</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />Eat well. Breath deep. Love yourself.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" ><br />And watch your own fairy tale self be revealed!</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-74058024049561103302010-04-24T14:59:00.001-07:002010-04-24T20:06:10.539-07:00Salt and Paradise...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzpLCsXOgVvl2yGGa9w_RxXFB0mxIKVPW2u2BMwlgumtQ-YP0drjbN4zo6KWa_MSHOC5KEKs3CJGR4TfvSyatPlfcq1iJY3Q01Jl64i1SGE1Kl-GXtlI6GcQfcutHUo3dX49C107tBb0m/s1600/Fire+Island+Sunrise+August+5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzpLCsXOgVvl2yGGa9w_RxXFB0mxIKVPW2u2BMwlgumtQ-YP0drjbN4zo6KWa_MSHOC5KEKs3CJGR4TfvSyatPlfcq1iJY3Q01Jl64i1SGE1Kl-GXtlI6GcQfcutHUo3dX49C107tBb0m/s320/Fire+Island+Sunrise+August+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463903844610486898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" >At sunrise this morning I was neck deep in warm turquoise waters, dancing with the lapping waves that lick the shores here in the British Virgin Islands. I apparently have a one track mind, even here in paradise (and clearly that track is set full time to the celebration of healthy beauty!). Can I just remind you the wonders of sea salt for your skin! </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />I am only three days into my little getaway and already my entire self is rejoicing. There is simply something magical and healing about time spent in the ocean. On an emotional level, you cannot help but unwind, to let go and melt into the rocking embrace of the pulsing current. With this kind of release comes deeper breathing, increased circulation and blood flow and a flood of happy hormones. </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />The mineral dense salts from the sea can provide a great exfoliation for your whole body and the fine grains can be used as a polisher for your facial skin. As a soak, salts deliver relief to aching muscles and various skin conditions - dryness, itching, flaking, scaling, dullness. I've seen great results with persistent psoriasis, eczema, skin infections and irritations, even bug bites!</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" > And all of that, ladies and gents, says bring it on to a radiant complexion and a healthy and happy you!</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />I am all about any excuse for a good soak and there is nothing quite like hopping into the sea. However, you can easily replicate some of these benefits in your own home. </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" >My top three favorites:</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />1. A good old fashioned salt soak. Simply drop a few cups of good sea salts or magnesium rich epsom salts into your hot bathwater, give it a swirl and stew away. </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />2. Scrub it up. Fill a small bowl with a fistful of salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil, blend with your hands and then treat yourself to a full body massage. Either follow with a quick rinse in the shower (leaving the oils to do their job quenching your thirsty skin) or enhance the benefits further with a follow up tub soak.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />3. For ocean spray on the go - fill a small spritzer bottle with a few teaspoons of fine salt dissolved in water (or a flower hydrosol is lovely!), shake rigorously and mist throughout the day (over your moisturizer) to revive skin and fool yourself into vacation mode. Try it before bed as a skin treatment or in your hair for the best beachy mane texture.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-61971959146160600532010-04-18T16:27:00.000-07:002010-04-18T17:08:11.599-07:00A Smile Inspiring Find...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKt-qvLYKM9C3xucbVOjueaWCDG50iYOV54A-QkfZJvocJn9Kig48xN7luYL1-JRXy2KIvkuMiYjaKUM2QBbww7lxR_2fNIgzGUic_0yfAa-Gh6lvv-SlzeZAGMlUVhsL1YD9zj-Nvs4z/s1600/JasonSeaFreshLg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKt-qvLYKM9C3xucbVOjueaWCDG50iYOV54A-QkfZJvocJn9Kig48xN7luYL1-JRXy2KIvkuMiYjaKUM2QBbww7lxR_2fNIgzGUic_0yfAa-Gh6lvv-SlzeZAGMlUVhsL1YD9zj-Nvs4z/s320/JasonSeaFreshLg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461632128689590610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >One of the very first items I replaced in my bath and beauty arsenal when I started becoming more aware of the impact my personal care items were having on my wellness was toothpaste.<br /><br />For years, I would develop a persistent redness and flaking around my nose and mouth that I eventually discovered was a sensitivity to toothpaste ingredients (as it turns out, this is a very commonly seen symptom in dermatology). I tried a number of health and planet conscious options - from straight baking soda to tubes of tasteless putty to soapy Dr. Bronners straight onto the brush.<br /><br />My goal was to find a cleanser for my teeth that actually made me feel clean, tasted good (nothing that would prevent me from being kissed immediately after!), was uncomplicated and didn't break the bank. I also absolutely insist on no fluoride and no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. It is quite the challenge finding a toothpaste without either of these two standard ingredients and to find one I actually like - a true feat!<br /><br />Finally, success! I came across <a href="http://store.veganessentials.com/jason-sea-fresh-toothpaste-p1403.aspx">Jason Sea Fresh</a> at <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods Market</a>, a</span><span id="ctl00_ctl00_cphMain_cphMain_pdsProduct_spnLongDescription" class="nextLongDescription"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >n all-natural sea-sourced toothpaste, this formula is made with certified organic blue green algae, sea salts and trace minerals. Not only that, it contains three natural whitening polishers to gently prevent plaque build up - bamboo powder, calcium carbonate and silica. Anti-bacterial grapefruit seed extract and perilla seed extract help block sugar acids and bacteria from forming in your mouth. Certified organic aloe vera gel soothes and relieves gums from irritation, and essential oils of mint bring the deep-sea spearmint flavor. Yum!</span><br /><br /></span></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-15087944231023565402010-04-12T16:31:00.001-07:002010-04-12T17:08:52.882-07:00In awe...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacmkpxcyw-FYiMppswWzoW-_IOXHc8tM67XERFXn4a2oVHN4pNydER8mm0c-1ukD6h3oJHPx0AnrEz5DMqCgAQOryBn59v4-ccCyPDSwuE1EdBwkJS3Zz_ZZ8LsukGEWg58cmfpw2_V1P/s1600/solar-power-necklace_by_mae-yokoyama_2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacmkpxcyw-FYiMppswWzoW-_IOXHc8tM67XERFXn4a2oVHN4pNydER8mm0c-1ukD6h3oJHPx0AnrEz5DMqCgAQOryBn59v4-ccCyPDSwuE1EdBwkJS3Zz_ZZ8LsukGEWg58cmfpw2_V1P/s320/solar-power-necklace_by_mae-yokoyama_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459403772525316466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPzpQdLA9-aqD3J3iw92CNaJ8x2vOShOQcHsZwV4Krc7FzlQB51NJsAFbYyID99EfRZhypjDGASKorQ3uCIEaLnVEDmmwGDgyim_sD58nusasRZQ8UpbnFk-D1LXBumklR8aoss89Df-u/s1600/maeyokoyama.jpg"><br /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >I am the first to admit that it took me a loooooong time to catch onto fashion; to care in any real way about it, despite my involvement in the industry - or perhaps because of it. I am not particularly excited by clothing, shoes, bags and so on and only recently have I begun to embrace this kind of design as an art form and to celebrate the ability to express yourself through your wardrobe.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >Somehow I stumbled upon this fascinating piece and it left me hungry. Is this where fashion is going? If so, I am wholeheartedly going to jump on board! Revelations towards revolutions... </span> <div style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" class="floatleft clearleft"> <b><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lux</span></b><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mae Yokoyama had a desire </span><span style="font-style: italic;">to turn “energy into beauty” She does that flawlessly here, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">bringing technology into the world of haute couture. </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">One standout piece in her production is a collar made of solar panels, accumulating energy during daytime and illuminating as the sun goes down. In the dark, a string of pearls is illuminated, turning the functional look of the solar panels into a subtle and fashionable necklace.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="mailto:mae.yokoyama@konstfack.info" title="e-Mail">mae.yokoyama@konstfack.info</a> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Press images: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.konstfack.info/images/Press/Yokoyama.jpg" target="_blank">1</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> ⋅ </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.konstfack.info/images/Press/Yokoyama2.jpg" target="_blank">2</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> ⋅ </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.konstfack.info/images/Press/Yokoyama3.jpg" target="_blank">3</a> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >When publishing, state the following:<br />Student, work title and photographer.<br />Photographer: 1 and 2 Andreas Nyquist, 3 Mae Yokoyama</span> </div><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-84329518837695758412010-03-24T13:11:00.000-07:002010-03-24T13:21:57.206-07:00Life is good.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPF8UZmlIBEnL5quhTA4dNzkbupEgy6Ts39C_jalAR9e9JyGyTRQMvQHoGefdGsaMQSqm8k6Y-uC9eirEd2KT-qP0z-VAc0BoLIxv2yjW7AEV-CUwATWHkSlyHjYgggb_TBbqp3pt77U7/s1600/beauty.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPF8UZmlIBEnL5quhTA4dNzkbupEgy6Ts39C_jalAR9e9JyGyTRQMvQHoGefdGsaMQSqm8k6Y-uC9eirEd2KT-qP0z-VAc0BoLIxv2yjW7AEV-CUwATWHkSlyHjYgggb_TBbqp3pt77U7/s320/beauty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452295886078913666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Life is blossoming and expanding as it always does with such enthusiasm and today all I want to share is how grateful I am for the immense and powerful amount of good that surrounds and fills me. I am blessed. Enjoy your days, may you all be filled with infinite joy and inspiration.</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">With much warmth and love,</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">May</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">xo</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Photographer: Courtney Dailey </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Model: </span><em style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Sarah Varacalli</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Makeup: May Lindstrom</span><br /></em></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-40070076730050844792010-03-05T12:57:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:37:08.804-08:00Yummy Skin Treats from The Body Deli...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR4RJEk9niz2lPoqA9bTk2ccm_xa8VC5MoESxl2EyvHBuT7scRU_XrOGbFXBBWkBbsS0vxx9LZLdKzgGh7U2c5tUpmxU7dJBBU5wm3UIsPsUZS0LZ1vB7KOyJpCGNXq5U1djJhYEPkIb_/s1600-h/blueberry_fusion_scrub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR4RJEk9niz2lPoqA9bTk2ccm_xa8VC5MoESxl2EyvHBuT7scRU_XrOGbFXBBWkBbsS0vxx9LZLdKzgGh7U2c5tUpmxU7dJBBU5wm3UIsPsUZS0LZ1vB7KOyJpCGNXq5U1djJhYEPkIb_/s320/blueberry_fusion_scrub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445265062360434002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >As many of you know, I am in the final stages of finishing my own signature line of luxury organic skincare.<br /><br />There are no words that can describe just how excited I am about that venture and I simply cannot wait to unveil the final products soon soon soon. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >In the meantime, I feel like I must introduce you to a line that next to my own (I can't resist!) is absolutely my number one. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Body Deli</span> (check them out here: <a href="http://thebodydeliaffiliate.com/134.html">http://thebodydeliaffiliate.com/134.html</a>) has been wooing me hard since I first discovered their goodies early last year. I am a hard sell on skincare as my standards are beyond over the top. These guys are the real deal and we have moved into serious relationship status. We are not monogamous, but this goes far beyond lust and infatuation. :)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Disclaimer : they have just begun an affiliate program and I have happily joined in - which in theory means that if you make a purchase from them through me, a few pennies from the process will go into my pocket. I promise you in the most serious and genuine way that this has ZERO influence over my recommendations from this line or any other at any point in the present or future. I have been turning clients and friends onto The Body Deli's products over all else for months. My refrigerator and bathroom vanity contain nearly every product they have ever made and I have an ongoing wish list of the ones I have yet to sample. Mere talk of their formulations causes me to swoon and it was them who inspired me to take my own line to the next level and go over the top with my dreams and aspirations towards celebrating a healthier path to whole beauty.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Onto the company:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Body Deli Philosophy:</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Inspired by the concept of natural living and driven by the science of “living foods,” The Body Deli’s products are designed to provide nutrition for the skin -- inside and out. All of the products are handmade in small batches and incorporate raw, fresh, natural and organic ingredients, including organic yogurt, amino acids, fresh fruit and vegetables, and all-natural plant oils. The result is nutrient-rich products for the body, face and hair that deliver fresh vitamins, enzymes and minerals at their peak potency.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Their ingredients list reads like a fantasy menu of yumminess and I respect their "less is more" attitude to clean and gorgeously green formulations.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >A handful of my favorites that you should absolutely try (I promise to write full on reviews of all the items I am enamored with soon) :<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Creme de la Rose:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Experience the fountain of youth in this luxurious and concentrated anti-aging treatment. Blended with the regenerating oils of pure Organic steam distilled Bulgarian Rose, Moroccan Rose Geranium and Sandalwood from India. Highly effective Marine Red Algae extracted Amino-Peptide chains help to diminish the depth and appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Plus this cream is synergistically blended with living Bio-Active Fresh Cells of fruits and vegetables that transform this cream into the ultimate anti-aging and regenerating facial treatment.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sea Cucumber Gelee:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />This extraordinary facial hydrator infuses the skin with pure moisture. Organic Aloe Vera is combined with skin toning Algae and nature's most potent moisturizer, Hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid has the ability to bind more than ten times its weight in moisture. This highly effective combination gives you the finest all natural moisturizer that imparts a dewy glow while it cools, soothes and hydrates the skin. Fresh Cells of cucumber and other powerful anti-oxidant rich fruits compliment this facial treatment and enhance its nutritional value for the skin.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rose Geranium Cleanser:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Fresh Cell Rose Geranium Cream Cleanser is formulated to be gentle and soothing for sensitive skin. Rose Geranium is a very harmonizing and balancing plant extract. This is an excellent daily cleanser for sensitive skin that is easily irritated from environmental pollution, stress or hormonal changes. The benefits of Rose Geranium for the skin are profound. This unique botanical is known for it's balancing effect in helping to hydrate dry patches and also normalize oiliness in the T-Zone area. Bio-active Fresh Cells enhance the function and nutritional value for this highly effective facial cleanser.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry Fusion Scrub:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Indulge in this amazing one of a kind facial polish. This anti-oxidant rich Organic Blueberry facial scrub is the ultimate exfoliant to gently create a smooth as silk complexion. Fresh Blueberries are blended to keep the high levels of anti-oxidant activity intact and create a treatment that feeds the skin as it exfoliates. All natural fruit acids are added in combination with natural earth particles that create the perfect balance of exfoliating action to leave your skin feeling rejuvenated, soft and smooth. Bio-active Fresh Cells are added for their beneficial nutritional value.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Radiance Enzyme Peel:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Regenerate your complexion with this living biological plant derived peel. Fresh uncooked superfoods are combined with wild harvested therapeutic grade Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey is known and respected for its healing abilities and has high levels of enzymes which create unparalleled smoothness and softness to the skin. The Radiance Enzyme Peel will boost your natural glow and smooth out imperfections and visible signs of aging. Beneficial probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidum are also blended into this peel to create a profound treatment that has a lasting visible impact on the complexion.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Glacial Mineral Mud Mask</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51); font-weight: bold;">: </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">T</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >his spa quality mud masque now makes it possible to give yourself a facial at home. This imported Canadian mineral mud masque is designed to deeply cleanse the pores. This mask draws out excess oil, debris and toxins from the skin, while it helps to shrink and minimize the appearance of the pores.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />***</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Okay, off to soar over mountains...</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Love and warmth to you all.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />xo</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >May</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><a href="http://thebodydeliaffiliate.com/134.html">http://thebodydeliaffiliate.com/134.html</a></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-28397302443189660372010-02-05T09:35:00.000-08:002010-02-05T10:47:39.454-08:00On tea....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rqIWEMmk1y5MZgm-9FMN1sHTwGCBi3xqQsw9rLggs3u7vyF1_8x5k8HKpAIVJ2DT3-kTejr9d2SETArbIqA4J5JZe88IbV1OGWDGJ98eO2MCQwNETg5G1nVdRMD1qEEh0kRO8na8LO8f/s1600-h/IMG_2216.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rqIWEMmk1y5MZgm-9FMN1sHTwGCBi3xqQsw9rLggs3u7vyF1_8x5k8HKpAIVJ2DT3-kTejr9d2SETArbIqA4J5JZe88IbV1OGWDGJ98eO2MCQwNETg5G1nVdRMD1qEEh0kRO8na8LO8f/s320/IMG_2216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434815828468711202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 255);font-family:georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;font-size:130%;" >It is very strange, this domination of our intellect by our digestive organs. We cannot work, we cannot think, unless our stomach wills so. It dictates to us our emotions, our passions. After eggs and bacon it says, "Work!" After beefsteak and porter, it says, "Sleep!" After a cup of tea (two spoonfuls for each cup, and don't let it stand for more than three minutes), it says to the brain, <span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Now rise, and show your strength. Be eloquent, and deep, and tender; see, with a clear eye, into Nature, and into life: spread your white wings of quivering thought, and soar, a god-like spirit, over the whirling world beneath you, up through long lanes of flaming stars to the gates of eternity!" </span></span><br />~</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);font-family:georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;font-size:130%;" >Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >****</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >I was thinking as I woke today that I would like to share more here in this space. With a full plate, endless deadlines, wonderful chaos and dots connecting like you would hardly believe (thank you, thank you, thank you!), my time has become precious...rather... I am learning to realize just how precious it has always been and to appreciate the moments I do take for myself more thoroughly. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > I have a new morning ritual. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >I have been starting each day with a mug of tea. This simple act alone stops the swirling of the world for a moment, provides the much needed motivation to just sit in silence and begin from neutral rather than pulling myself out of bed and catapulting frantically into my day, attacking to-do lists and endless emails and phone calls and responsibility without thought to what climbing these mountains actually means to me; why I live so big and fast and dispense all my energy with such relentless passion. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >I believe there is power in stillness and silence, yet I struggle to embrace either. Wrapped up in my mug of tea, I somehow remember to breathe.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >****</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">Now for what you really want to know.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">Tea is a real treat for the skin!</span><br /></span></span><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The skin’s appearance is determined by its exposure to potentially harmful environmental influences such as sunlight and air pollution, in combination with diet and topical care.<br /></span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Red, green, white, and black teas from around the world have been used for centuries in various medicinal remedies. There have been a number of encouraging studies of the skin benefits of green tea. Animal studies showed protection from skin cancer. Both animal and human studies have credibly demonstrated that topical green tea formulations reduce sun damage. Green tea appears to exert sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays.</span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Considering their well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, topical green tea polyphenols are likely to slow down the development of some signs of aging. Green tea's gentle but powerful action is of immense relief particularly for those with skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, dandruff,and acne - all of which are exacerbated by inflammation.<br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);"></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">The simple how to:</span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" >1. Brew yourself a cup of your favorite tea. I highly suggest organic green or white tea for their antioxidant goodness, but chamomile, rose and lavender are favorites of mine and lovely as well, particularly for calming sensitive skin.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" >2. Sip and think good thoughts. Yes, this is required. :)</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" >3. Remove tea bag (warm, not HOT) and gently swipe over your entire face, neck and decollete for an incredible natural toner. This simple step calms skin, reduces inflammation and general puffiness, soothes tired eyes, balances excess oil and sweeps away any dry skin or flakiness. Did I mention it feels incredible and costs practically pennies? </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:100%;" > - If you are feeling particularly in need of an emergency fix, keep a tray of green tea ice cubes in your freezer and slide over your face on especially puffy days when you need serious and fast acting relief.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings! </span><br />~Author Unknown</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-33662914372090314352010-01-25T10:44:00.000-08:002010-01-25T11:00:18.559-08:00My website...Practicing Patience...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewBNwXQTVeuXZWeVie071JfHY0GAtV6ysNxacynHNP3K8LOPT7uGh9xBknZATaCbkSmHZa41_F4dx_XHI1pQZE_yhhYa8z29J7s8z5etCsn8qO9GcRGDQ7aoP9GDpYbaut24paLXsBOJZ/s1600-h/behindthescenes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewBNwXQTVeuXZWeVie071JfHY0GAtV6ysNxacynHNP3K8LOPT7uGh9xBknZATaCbkSmHZa41_F4dx_XHI1pQZE_yhhYa8z29J7s8z5etCsn8qO9GcRGDQ7aoP9GDpYbaut24paLXsBOJZ/s320/behindthescenes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430750410017804962" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-family: georgia;">I absolutely cannot wait until I can send all of you to my actual super great website rather than this blog that I neglect more often than not. It is currently undergoing it's own major makeover and I am hoping with all fingers and toes and elbows crossed that it will be live and active within a month. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-family: georgia;">In the meantime, please do feel free to contact me directly to schedule a holistic beauty consultation, green makeover, healthy skin treatment, or to answer any questions you may have about services, products, or whatever else you may wish to inquire of me. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-family: georgia;">If there is anything specific you think would be a good addition to my site once back up and running, I enthusiastically welcome your input and very much look forward to hearing from you.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-21919601460431683102010-01-24T15:43:00.000-08:002010-01-24T17:39:42.346-08:00What's YOUR secret?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4g-85d0ybNcxpS9KO8Le9xUowei7Uc_fLyJhVDLznRvRWeNymoVvi0b1BLR7sykixiHVgRoPzj1f86KYTfp18vj5Bv9hb1Lvi4N7ADlM53LusTeMVO92FPbo1S4EQYr3jSQgwmZ3bVIB/s1600-h/04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4g-85d0ybNcxpS9KO8Le9xUowei7Uc_fLyJhVDLznRvRWeNymoVvi0b1BLR7sykixiHVgRoPzj1f86KYTfp18vj5Bv9hb1Lvi4N7ADlM53LusTeMVO92FPbo1S4EQYr3jSQgwmZ3bVIB/s320/04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430484997380462194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">I'll admit, I get asked this all of the time.<br /><br />As an "aspiring to be former" model (on a great big mission to switch to the other side of the camera and give healthy beauty a whole new meaning!), I do not always blend in with the scenery. I worked for years in front of the camera, quite often as just a face, a blank palette for cosmetics and the vision of makeup artists and photographers and art directors and so on.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Needless to say, my SKIN has been a full time project for years. It has always been imperative that I be in the best condition possible or risk not having food on the table that month. In an industry as fickle as fashion, this was not vanity - it was survival in the career path I was skipping along.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />When asked about my personal regimen now, it is often paired with "well, you're a Model -of course your skin is perfect!" or "Genetics, right? I'm sure you've always had great skin", etc. etc. etc.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Let me tell you something. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I work at it.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Hard.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />It has most certainly gotten easier over the years as I've learned to be healthier inside which is reflected outside, to eat properly, get off artificial hormones (birth control, animal products), lead an active physical life, practice self love (I am a glorious and glowing woman!) and other hippy-dippy things, and entirely switched over my personal care items and cosmetics to the squeakiest side of clean.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />It takes all of this. No compromises. You have to tell yourself that you are worth it and then follow through with what exactly that means. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I have not always been a model, or even considered beautiful in the traditional sense. I was an awkward kid like most I've found in this industry - Shy, introverted, socially inept, too smart for my own good and dancing clumsily to the beat of my own drum.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">In junior high I was the really uncool girl the popular guys would date as a joke to be funny. Oh yes, hilarious times.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />And then at eighteen my family history of seriously awesome skin conditions decided to show me I was part of the crew - psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, mysterious rashes, blisters, scaling, itching, bleeding madness. I had always had little patches that hinted I too would have this battle to fight, but in 2001 all hell broke loose and I was covered literally head to toe with a hot, burning, itching, scaly rash that resembled red camouflage over nearly ever inch of my body.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />In grocery store lines small children would point at my exposed alien arms and ask their mothers what was wrong with me. I would hide my deteriorating face and try not to cry because the salt would sting in my open wounds.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Doctors and dermatologists and expensive visits with specialists yielded no results and no answers. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Finally, through a long process of blood and allergy tests (and rounds of antibiotics and steroids in high doses that provided immediate relief followed by a far greater return to an even worse reaction) and living practically in a bubble for a while as I learned through elimination, I discovered that the vast majority of my issues (beyond genetic predisposition) were largely environmental. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I was allergic to my life and the state of our planet. I had just moved to Los Angeles (from super green Minnesota) where my body was experiencing shock over the high levels of pollution and contaminants in the air, catapulting my immune system into a frenzy and sending my skin into a state of hypersensitivity where I was forced to become very aware of how all the little things in my world were contributing to my state of unwell - my cosmetics, cleaning supplies, shampoos and soaps and lotions and toothpaste, food I was eating, the paints I used when teaching my art class... Everything was making me sick, and giving due credit to vanity, making me feel and look far from pretty.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Over the next several years I switched out one product at a time, altering my lifestyle and slowly healing with each step along the way. Two years into the process, my once spiderweb patterned skin was unrecognizable. I still had red patches around my nose and mouth, occasional spots and flaking on my hands and tiny scars that whispered my secret... but I no longer looked or felt foreign in my own skin.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I started modeling as a celebration and as a way to move back into my body, to make peace with my skin and my outlook on my own appearance.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Now, fully healed and ripe with passion on this subject, I am on a mission to share what I know. What could be easily viewed externally on my skin is happening inside of yours. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Just because you cannot always see it, does not mean it is not there. Direct links between an elevated risk of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, allergies, asthma, and so on and so on have been shown time and again with the use of standard cosmetics and beauty care items. This is no joke. It is no small thing. This is a terribly important subject that can no longer be ignored.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MY SECRET?</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />HERE IT IS:</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />IF SOMETHING CANNOT GO IN YOUR BODY, IT CANNOT GO ON IT. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br />IF YOU CANNOT EAT IT, YOUR SKIN SHOULDN'T EITHER. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />PERIOD.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I live by this. From my toothpaste to my mascara to my foot scrub, I only use earth and plant based products and ingredients that contribute to my well being rather than take from it.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">There are soooooo many good options available. There is simply no excuse to not make this transition.<br /><br />I am absolutely amazed how many of my clients would buy organic fruits and vegetables, drink filtered water, work out in organic cotton yoga gear and then suds up with Sodium Laurel Sulfate, slather on paraben drenched expensive face creams and lacquer themselves in lead and mercury laden carcinogenic cosmetics. Seriously, you KNOW better. You do. So why the excuse when it comes to your beauty routine? </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Please please please, I beg of you to take a closer look at why you continue to turn a blind eye to this. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">This is not ten years ago. There are safe cleaning products. There is a whole world of well formulated and decidedly non granola cosmetics. There are indulgent bath products with heavenly aromas and beautiful packaging. And as demand increases, the revolution rises and our options get better and better and better.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I have been researching products for years, testing and challenging and making demands with my dollar. I am still learning, each and every day. I make new discoveries about new companies, new brands, new innovative people coming up with truly delectable healthy beauty items on a constant basis. I got so excited about this whole process, I've even started formulating my own line of bath and beauty goodness (which I simply cannot wait to unveil sooooon)!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">I was told recently that I light up when I talk about what it means to me to be a holistic beauty consultant and green makeup artist and eco potion mixing entrepreneur and overall natural beauty junkie on a happy healthy joy mission. (Phew. Big sentence!)</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I was told I glow.<br /><br />Passion fills me. I'm excited. I care. I'm invested in you and just as importantly, I am invested in myself.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Maybe that's my secret. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />May it be yours too.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />With all the love and gooey goodness in the word,</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />May</span></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-13408699524957335212009-12-20T15:42:00.000-08:002009-12-20T16:02:09.759-08:00Humbled....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjpuoOKAGEAPXAlfSor4yYUuyV6L8dLwobPFEJE5wp6AGTZUNhZgz8TK4AC_ERRFGjiDHwRiUQ8yxRBYnxO5NwQmAS1IKOwNl7YQP7dLsW7R9PoQw_rSyTFTy8Unv_Jr1dxUzHAppDQJL/s1600-h/The_Days_End_by_VistaDude.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjpuoOKAGEAPXAlfSor4yYUuyV6L8dLwobPFEJE5wp6AGTZUNhZgz8TK4AC_ERRFGjiDHwRiUQ8yxRBYnxO5NwQmAS1IKOwNl7YQP7dLsW7R9PoQw_rSyTFTy8Unv_Jr1dxUzHAppDQJL/s320/The_Days_End_by_VistaDude.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417472967718772898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:georgia;" >The last couple weeks have been amazing, I have been meeting the most incredible people, so many inspired souls on missions of their own... so many striving towards expanded personal growth, honoring their own health and beauty, deepening their connection to their planet and all those who live upon it.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:georgia;" >I am not the most social creature. I can be shy around new people, of which many are entering my life right now in this place of growth. I am quiet by nature, unless I have something real to say and then I can be quite fierce and direct. The social networking part of business always presents a challenge to me. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:georgia;" >I believe in what I am doing, am confident in my skills and the importance of the journey I am on. But talking to people about it... explaining just WHY this is so necessary, why change is vital, why healthy beauty as I wish it encompasses so much more than looking pretty for a night out. What gives me the authority to educate on these things? What credentials do I have that allow me the ability to charge fees for my time and services? Because this is such a passion, I struggle with the business part of things, with the technical side of relating all of this into concise words and plans and a bottom line.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:georgia;" >A woman in full support of me asked the other day, what can I tell my clients about you? How can I explain what makes you different? Another asked, where were you trained? I feel the need right now to be open.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:georgia;" >To the first, I wrote the following in an email. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >The truth is that there is no standard for this. I am exploring a territory that is fairly new, at least to the mainstream and certainly to the entertainment industry. I had to create my own standard, my own set of rules. I utilize the SkinDeep Database regularly to keep ingredients in check and to establish some kind of set guideline so as to not let things slide or get lax when I find products I love that are ALMOST </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >clean enough to use and endorse. Research has become a regular part of my everyday. I am the first to admit that I know just a sliver of what there is to know. I am not a chemist. I do not have a formal eduction on these subjects. I am not licensed or certified or regulated because there is no standard for what I do. There is no guideline that says where to go from here for me. This is a new venture. What I know, I know because I researched it on my own, with other people who know more than I do, by reading, by talking to others, by trial and error, by having lived and worked as a model and in the beauty industry for the last decade. I was a standard makeup artist years ago. I know this world thoroughly in the practical sense. I do struggle with words, with having the facts to state to make information palatable and retain-able when I am speaking on this subject. This is far from the easy part for me. I fumble all the time when questioned. There are so many in this community that are incredibly well versed and know far more than I do in the technical sense. I welcome their questions and their intensity. I do get intimidated, but it drives me as well to continue to learn. I am a makeup artist. My roots are deeply green. I have passion that drives me. This is something I care about intensely. Time will provide credibility for me, time to establish more information and a deeper understanding of it so I can communicate it with ease, time to establish a clientele as invested as I am, time to re-build a book that stands on it's own even without the tag of green, time to line up the business with the heart and bring it to a successful place where I can prosper as a business woman as well as a caring partner in the search for a healthier way of approaching beauty. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" > There is a very large hill to climb in front of me but I embrace the challenge.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-family:georgia;" >I very much welcome your input. It is people like you, like the others I have been meeting lately, all coming together that make scaling mountains possible for all of us.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-57460650890305116262009-12-09T19:36:00.000-08:002009-12-09T20:50:54.249-08:00Grateful.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolTon-6jojuU-8Lv2_b69fBvEULScC47h-dcUR-fD7ukAEhPsXpj-4dReB5MS1fV-opZD1A16DD-mtweW_8ibnM1CAIahtIfunkiUE6O5J7QFj1w25wTu62_Uaa-ZtPJV0e_4wK7FDmkR/s1600-h/wardroof.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolTon-6jojuU-8Lv2_b69fBvEULScC47h-dcUR-fD7ukAEhPsXpj-4dReB5MS1fV-opZD1A16DD-mtweW_8ibnM1CAIahtIfunkiUE6O5J7QFj1w25wTu62_Uaa-ZtPJV0e_4wK7FDmkR/s320/wardroof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413446468773236482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">I have the greatest job in the world. <br />This is what I was thinking the other day, perched on the edge of photographer <a href="http://www.wardrobinsonphoto.com/">Ward Robinson's</a> rooftop studio overlooking Los Angeles, the most incredible gold sunset wrapping it's warmth all around me.... </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">Our outrageously beautiful model with the fullest lips I have ever seen wanders over to me, points out the fact that me laying in the sun on the side of the building like this would be just dandy... if there wasn't a drop inches away to several stories down with no rail to hold me in. Oh yes. I remind myself that I'm not really a bird... and prayed that any earthquakes hold off for at least the next fifteen minutes and basked there until the sun dipped below the palm tree speckled horizon. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">What I am loving most about my job right now is that I created it. I took a passion and made a profession. For years, I have heard over and over and over that I could not be successful as a makeup artist and still offer healthy, natural beauty... that 'green' products have not reached a certain quality level or there would not be a demand for a service that challenged the ordinary or that eco friendly could not exist outside of a crunchy granola girl package or bla bla bla bla bla... It is simply not true. I am having fun disproving these theories.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">Tomorrow I am shooting the cover of "A Distinctive Style", a green magazine who's subtitle is Awareness/Art/Inspiration. Our model is <a href="http://www.rachelavalon.com/ra/home.html">Rachel Avalon</a>, 2009 winner of <a href="http://projectgreensearch.com/about/">Project Green Search</a>, a campaign aimed at inspiring people to align their careers with their environmental, social and humanitarian ethics, serving as a platform to connect mission driven people with sustainable businesses and organizations in the modeling, spokesperson, design, fashion, entertainment and arts arenas. And most appropriate to photograph this job is of course my dear friend and eco enthusiast <a href="http://www.courtneydailey.com/">Courtney Dailey</a> who is in the slow and thorough process of greening her downtown studio.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">I could not be more thrilled to be where I am right now. I am watching my green world prosper. I am creating my own universe of collaborators who care, who are kind to our planet, who embrace a healthier path towards glorious green beauty.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153);"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have the greatest </span>job in the world.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-71840340475228928762009-12-05T20:54:00.000-08:002009-12-05T21:43:40.450-08:00My new favorite way to wake up...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ekqqcho-WAt5D2BBA1IEofcshzrAMSGTt4zz3etHYLZNQFv7DycA6WBIamfyEnskyFIo_EAxLk6ANj6KTdQqR2sGZdeM39LEnij6oCYv4dsLsB1D2S3UYTO9JEELtkxZxf0Cxoqvnpbc/s1600-h/bakingsoda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ekqqcho-WAt5D2BBA1IEofcshzrAMSGTt4zz3etHYLZNQFv7DycA6WBIamfyEnskyFIo_EAxLk6ANj6KTdQqR2sGZdeM39LEnij6oCYv4dsLsB1D2S3UYTO9JEELtkxZxf0Cxoqvnpbc/s320/bakingsoda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411994393791921714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">A few weeks ago I added something very simple to my beauty arsenal.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Baking Soda.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">As a scrub.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">For my FACE.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Really, it couldn't be simpler. For years, I've kept a box in the refrigerator to absorb smells, another under the sink as a natural cleaning aid. On the very rare occasion I get around to baking, soda is of course a necessary staple. I can't even claim this is a new discovery in my beauty routine as I have added this ingredient to a number of homemade scrubs, soaks, etc.... but it never really occurred to me to use this on it's own. It turns out, this is my new favorite way to wake up.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Step one. Roll out of bed and make your way to the bathroom.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Two. Splash cool water onto your face, waking up your cells and stirring your circulation.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Three. Sprinkle a couple teaspoons of baking soda into the palm of your wet hand, adding drops of water as necessary to form a smooth paste. (You can also add baking soda straight to your regular facial cleanser or a creamy lotion in place of the water though I adore the simplicity of this alone.)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Four. Smooth over your skin, gently massaging in small circles and avoiding your delicate eye area. Take your time and enjoy the process.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Five. Rinse completely with cool to lukewarm water.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Six. Pat dry and follow with your favorite "green" moisturizer.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">This is the perfect scrub for a number of reasons. It is cheap, effective, natural... the perfect degree of exfoliation - not too rough, but gets the job done.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">***</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">A few other great ways to use baking soda in your eco beauty routine:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Hair Care:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Add a tablespoon to your shampoo and wash as usual. Rubbing this concoction into your scalp helps to remove traces of styling product residue, environmental pollution, dirt and oil.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Body or foot soak:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Add half a cup or more to a bath before you hop in to to relax. The baking soda neutralizes acids on the skin and gently washes away the grime of your day. A few tablespoons to a foot soak provides odor protection and relaxation and prepares your toes for a massage or pedicure.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Mouth cleansing and refreshing:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">Sprinkle baking soda in your palm. Dip your wet toothbrush to cover and simply brush your teeth. Use this back to basics method to keep teeth clean, white and healthy. Swishing with a teaspoon of soda in half a glass of water neutralizes odors and leaves your mouth perfectly prepped for puckering up. :)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: georgia;">____________</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: georgia;">Please do a patch test if you have sensitive skin. This is an exfoliant so be gentle with yourself. If you have inflamed acne, dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water and do a rinse rather than scrub. Your skin is delicate. Do what feels good.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-7834859212352509712009-09-24T11:12:00.000-07:002009-09-24T11:34:40.848-07:00Food for thought...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqSs4kKF2_LqA22F1a16ZtAdaIvp8Nf4d1Wh0-diDKlcmk17ana_JNo9MBEQ0hQfzjJJCfJIVIIlINa5JFoaQqLii6zLn76GRK1dkPWdjw8VyhyphenhyphenDzshlZaeukZuze-OifJRvtymp1fqLj/s1600-h/rodprint2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqSs4kKF2_LqA22F1a16ZtAdaIvp8Nf4d1Wh0-diDKlcmk17ana_JNo9MBEQ0hQfzjJJCfJIVIIlINa5JFoaQqLii6zLn76GRK1dkPWdjw8VyhyphenhyphenDzshlZaeukZuze-OifJRvtymp1fqLj/s320/rodprint2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385103414513205794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:180%;" >The average woman eats 4 to 9 pounds of lipstick<br />in her lifetime, that’s somewhere between 481 and 1083 tubes.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /><br /><br />A study conducted back in 2004 found that 28% of lipsticks</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">contained cancer-causing chemicals. Modern lipsticks are</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">formulated from upwards of 10,000 chemicals, 89% of</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">which have never been tested for human safety.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br />Additionally, those who use lipstick for 3 days</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">increase their risk of developing lupus by 40%.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br /><br />Lead in lipstick? Turns out, the urban legend is true. In October 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 popular brands of lipsticks at an independent lab for lead content.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The results: <span style="font-weight: bold;">61 percent of lipsticks contained lead</span>, with levels ranging up to 0.65 parts per million.<br />Lead-contaminated brands included L'Oreal, Cover Girl and even a $24 tube of Dior Addict.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">In 2009, FDA released a follow-up study that found lead in all samples of lipstick it tested, at levels ranging from 0.09 to 3.06 ppm – levels four times higher than the levels found in the CSC study.<br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">No Safe Dose</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The recent science indicates there is <span style="font-weight: bold;">no safe level of lead exposure</span>.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">“Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure,” according to Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br />“Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development,” according to Dr. Sean Palfrey, a professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University and the medical director of Boston's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />“Since recent science suggests that there is truly no safe lead exposure for children and pregnant women, it is disturbing that manufacturers are allowed to continue to sell lead-containing lipsticks."</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: “No safe blood lead level has been identified.” The agency suggests avoiding all sources of lead exposure, including lead-containing cosmetics. (Read CDC's lead exposure prevention tips.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-style: italic;">Status Update</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-style: italic;"><br />The FDA released a follow-up study in 2009 that found much higher levels of lead in lipstick than reported by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102); font-style: italic;">A state bill to ban lead from lipstick passed the California Senate in 2008, but died after a massive industry lobby effort.<br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">What You Can Do</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br />Because lead is a contaminant not listed on lipstick ingredient labels, it's next to impossible for consumers to avoid. But don't let that dissuade you from doing something:</span> <ul style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><li>E-mail, call or write to the companies that make your favorite lipstick shades and tell them that lead-free products are important to you.</li><li><a target="_self" href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/postcard.jsp?postcard_KEY=60">Send friends and family an e-card</a> letting them know about this issue.</li><li><a target="_self" href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=134">Sign our petition for safe cosmetics</a>.</li></ul> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">More Information</span> <a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/A%20Poison%20Kiss_report.pdf" target="_blank">Report: "A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick"</a> <p><a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=292" target="_self">Science: Lead and other heavy metals</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=283" target="_self">FAQs: Lead in lipstick</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=402" target="_self">Laws: The FDA response to lead in lipstick</a><br /></p> <p><a target="_self" href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=548">Press release: FDA Study: Lead Levels in Lipstick Much Higher than Previously Reported (Sept. 1, 2009)</a><br /></p> <p><a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=401" target="_self">Press release: FDA fails to protect public: Remains silent about lead in lipstick (Feb. 9, 2009)</a><br /></p> <p><a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=249" target="_self">Press release: Beauty industry lobbies to keep lead in lipstick (June 26, 2008)</a><br /></p> <a href="http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=59" target="_self">Press release: New product tests find lead in lipstick (Oct. 11, 2007)</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">*************************</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><br />This article courtesy of www.safecosmetics.org, an incredibly informative site. Check it out!<br />*************************<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Fun fact:</span> Do you know what happens when inspectors nab lead-filled and unsafe products that don't meet European standards? They are sent for resale in the US! Perfectly legal.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-25811129621758384892009-08-02T11:14:00.000-07:002009-08-02T12:39:59.836-07:00What exactly do I do?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAtHGkQCxj2ZKVcmAXC49ise_Soa68-ptDLI_44HI7odmDmrQuCRAjvGM9oF-2jJYvLL4AAHImQHF5DbpdFvJb8QSebfLIv-g0AtcZnZIUvH5WwVpVzsHJXK82ZbuPGrLcWRpkoi_qgHF/s1600-h/willow_by_alimuse.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAtHGkQCxj2ZKVcmAXC49ise_Soa68-ptDLI_44HI7odmDmrQuCRAjvGM9oF-2jJYvLL4AAHImQHF5DbpdFvJb8QSebfLIv-g0AtcZnZIUvH5WwVpVzsHJXK82ZbuPGrLcWRpkoi_qgHF/s320/willow_by_alimuse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365452744439678018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I am a self-described "<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Green Makeup Artist</span>". So what exactly does that mean? What makes me different than other makeup artists?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">To put it simply, I offer skin and planet friendly beauty inspiration. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I truly believe that beauty should FEEL GOOD. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">This is about far more than aesthetics for me. The cosmetics that fill my kit are comprised of ingredients that go beyond pretty colors - pigments come from antioxidant rich fruits and vegeta</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">bles (vitamins retained), earth minerals (naturally anti-inflammatory, sun shielding, cooling), fresh herbal infusions, teas, coffee, cocoa, seaweed and salts, probiotics, active enzymes, nourishing honey, healing shea, a cornucopia of nutrient powerhouses infusing your largest and most absorbent organ with glowing, gorgeous, health - free of harmful chemicals, synthetic preservatives and genetically altered ingredients.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">My concern for health and whole beauty goes beyond simply skin, but embraces my desire to do good for our planet and all creatures that share this home with us.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">Every item I use is vegetarian. I do not purchase cosmetics from companies that test on animals or acquire ingredients from others who do. I aim for sustainability, right down to my bamboo brushes.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I am constantly learning and evolving, researching, striving to know more so I can offer more to you.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">If I wouldn't put something IN your body, I will not put it ON your body.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I want to literally FEED YOUR SKIN.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I want to unveil your youthful glow, at any age.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I want to heal and hydrate, enhance and inspire.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I believe in COLOR, in having FUN with your makeup, in CELEBRATION and PLAY.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I don't believe in using scare tactics to prove a point. I want to educate, not frighten.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">With so much positive to focus on, I embrace this rather than the alternative.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I am a makeup artist. Faces and bodies are my canvases. My tools come from the earth. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">Inspiration is everywhere.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">I am unbelievably grateful.</span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-89987277592477320122009-07-29T21:09:00.001-07:002009-08-02T12:41:50.854-07:00All business...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiyhX-PW7bMLv9TAjvhqSsdc3fPpUua7VmxPWRWp3yv2Xxp75vCnjw-8aKqPaYEyTPPI151t5ypyhxY4_vMuud_rxYCbqiRjfPvceEjo-YU6XC8OLnale4QozYI_3ztVsml8DEtp2DHRU/s1600-h/betcee+card+iii+grey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiyhX-PW7bMLv9TAjvhqSsdc3fPpUua7VmxPWRWp3yv2Xxp75vCnjw-8aKqPaYEyTPPI151t5ypyhxY4_vMuud_rxYCbqiRjfPvceEjo-YU6XC8OLnale4QozYI_3ztVsml8DEtp2DHRU/s320/betcee+card+iii+grey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364101047631654610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">My new business cards arrived today and while they are not quite perfect (I'm on the search for thick, velvety, recycled paper stock with a substantial weight to it to print on the for the next round), I am quite pleased.<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-family: courier new;">Design by:</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-family: courier new;"> </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;" href="http://blackandbluegraphics.blogspot.com/">Black and Blue Graphics</a>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748844511873816250.post-43888032273000007552009-07-28T11:23:00.000-07:002009-07-31T12:00:58.786-07:00A beginning, a blossoming...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B1Pc2zUPzMu7IxjXpczLi5TB7LimmFwwZbXe-RLAlqUH6mjq0zUi-df7o4IXfbjXRisIYAcT5yESxe9XI_GjNd6W78-woo1Dq2N9azfwjyP80ZmY4ilkmh5-AkFtdKzb2BgsfrQ54x8K/s1600-h/sparkling_spring_by_shanonaut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B1Pc2zUPzMu7IxjXpczLi5TB7LimmFwwZbXe-RLAlqUH6mjq0zUi-df7o4IXfbjXRisIYAcT5yESxe9XI_GjNd6W78-woo1Dq2N9azfwjyP80ZmY4ilkmh5-AkFtdKzb2BgsfrQ54x8K/s320/sparkling_spring_by_shanonaut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363582393116758658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:courier new;" >I am a Green Makeup Artist, living and working out of Los Angeles and wherever the wind takes me. I want to expand HEALING beauty, environmental consciousness and evolution of what it means to indulge, to play, to be present with yourself and humanity, to embrace your own radiance, to laugh, dance, discover and glow from the inside out.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);font-family:courier new;" >I have begun my mission.<br /><br />In this space, I want to share with you my journey as it unfolds. When I discover a gorgeous new shade of lipstick that is as safe as your morning smoothie, I'll post it here. When I learn about environmental or social issues I knew little about (or those I do), I'll share articles or my findings here. When I come across like minds on their own inspiring adventures, I'll introduce you. A good book, a quote that resonates, a recipe that evokes drool, a website worth browsing, a beautiful hiking spot or a new favorite restaurant... I want to share with you the things that bring me back to me, that remind me of my place on this planet, that awaken my determination to do more, to be more, to expect more, to live fully.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:courier new;" > <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility. - Rachel Carson</span></span>May Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16584150524405534274noreply@blogger.com3