Looking for Beautiful

  Everyone wants to feel appreciated!  This past week, I had coffee with my neighbor.  Sounds simple enough, and it is.  But it's the simple things that bring so much joy to our daily lives.  Love is like a boomerang!  If you throw it out there, it's gonna come right back!  Perhaps not the way you imagined and sometimes it may hit you in the head!!  But ya gotta throw it out there.  Soo...coffee with Brenda was on Saturday.  Monday I had some shopping to do.  I picked up an extra bag of my favorite coffee (a local brand of Mackinaw Island Fudge) and a card for Brenda.  I wanted her to know how special she is to me!  Left it on her doorstep.  Turns out, it was just the thing to help boost her day.  :)  That was an extra blessing for me!  Now it's time for anonymous random acts of kindness!! ...and that is how you find beautiful!

P.S.  If you stop by, comment and let me know what you did to find beautiful!

4 Hurons and a Wildcat!

"Life is beautiful!"  And so is my friend!  Congrats to her, she is valedictorian of
the 2011 graduating class at her school.  Life truly is beautiful for her!



Such a pretty foot!  Love this girl, talk about charm!





 


Seriously, the coolest kid on the soccer team!!

   Last night I got to henna the Huron HS tennis team!  What a great way for the team to bond.  We snuck in a little brother who has a ton of soccer spirit!  And a little sister who wanted a foot that was just as pretty as the big girls!   
   Had a question about black henna again last night.  I've blogged about this before, so feel free to check back in the achieves.  Real henna is safe and made from all natural ingredients.  I buy my own henna powder, and mix my own paste with lemon juice, cardamon and lavender essential oil.  I also add sugar, coffee and often a few other things I find in my kitchen cupboard.  Unfortunately, a young man made the news after vacationing in Mexico.  He got a "black" henna.  AGAIN, there is no such thing!  It scarred his skin.  Henna, when applied, is a dark brown paste.  When it is scraped off, it is a light orange.  It then turns a darker brown after a few days.  People selling black henna put a chemical in their henna, similar to hair dye, that can scar the skin.
  Know what you are putting on your skin.  Go to a reputable artist.  Research the artist.  Call them!  Any henna artist worth his or her salt will take the time to educate their client.

Henna, Poker, Mastacholi



  Several weeks ago, my friend Kris hosted a henna party.  She was headed off to Arizona so we had to add some henna...henna tan!  Had a great time.  She's such a good cook too!  Mastacholi for dinner, wine, good music and some new friends after.  Once everyone was hennaed, they brought out the cards.  Apparently, I must look a lot smarter than I am, because I am severely challenged when it comes to card games.  Euchre was the big game in college.  I never did grasp it.  Every time someone brought out the cards at a party, they'd have to re-teach me!  Poker wasn't much different.  They finally gave up and brought out the game "Apples to Apples".  Much more my speed!!!

I really wish this hadn't turned out so blurry!  But you
get the picture.



This was on the upper arm.  I use a hair band to get a
straight line going around the arm.  Then I trace a line
(following the band) with a watercolor pencil.  This ensures
that the design is even all the way around.

I can't wait until summer sandal time!

Love it!

This and the next three photos are a good example of
the stains progression.  This is with fresh henna "mud" applied.

This is the light orange that is visible as the "mud"
starts to flake off.

Just a few hours later and it is already starting to darken.

The next morning I am seeing a nice light brown.  The
following day, I had a dark brown stain.

Going Through Pics!



This is right after the paste is removed. Notice it's a light
orange at this point.  It will darken over time.
 I only had it on for a few hours and got a nice dark stain!

 Pretty feet!



No henna, I just love the pic!  Rocks on our beach!

Getting darker....

festival customer

Have coffee, ready for the day!

Nautical Festival!

  I had a great conversation with Mary Pritchard yesterday of Domici Gallery in Rogers City Michigan.   The gallery sits on Third St. (the main street that runs through town).  We have property near by and vacation, hunt, fish and basically spend as much time up there on the northern shores of Lake Huron, as we can.  The gallery is always one of the places I MUST hit when I go into town!  They're always showcasing some uniquely talented Michigan artist.  This year I will be doing Henna at the gallery for the Nautical Festival!

  The Nautical Festival is everything you could want in a small town festival, complete with carnival rides.    Churches and civic organizations host an array of events throughout the week.  The art fair (my favorite part!) runs Friday August 5th, through Sunday the 7th.  The week comes to a close with a parade on Sunday.  It's a homecoming event.  If you are from Rogers City, want to be from Rogers City, own a cottage, or just like to visit, chances are you will be in town for festival week!

  It's a beautiful part of the state.  The sunrise side!  Pine forests, Lake Huron and plenty of nearby inland lakes to keep you busy.  See you at the festival!

http://www.rogerscity.com/

http://www.nauticalfestival.org/ALL%20ACTIVITIES.htm





Now That I Have My Henna, How do I Make It Last?

  Henna aftercare is simple, leave it alone!  Seriously!  Henna stains the outer layers of the skin, (the dead skin cells).  So, lose the loofah when you have a henna.  If you have had your hands done, you may want to keep them out of dishwater and wear gloves in the garden.  Historically, a new bride didn't have to perform any of the household chores expected of a wife until her henna wore off.  You can bet she did everything she could to make that stain last!  Keeping your skin moisturized can help.  But, no lotions with harsh chemicals!  Keep from washing the area for at least 12 hours.  I know this is hard with hands.  Just try to pat them dry instead of rubbing the towel over your skin.  Lastly, stay out of the pool.  Chlorine will shorten the life of your stain.  Go swimming in the lake!  And remember, when you first take off the dried paste,  DON'T wash it!!  Gently scrape off the remaining paste. 

Enjoy!

The Process...

   Henna is a plant commonly found in Northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. It's flowers are pleasingly fragrant, and the leaf contains a natural dye. The leaf of the plant is ground into a powder and combined with an acidic liquid such as lemon juice to further break down the plant matter. An essential oil is then added to help release the dye. I use cardamom.  LOVE it!  (It reminds me of my grandmother's Swedish bread  ...I know, I'm getting off track!)  Coffee, tea, cinnamon, or other ingredients may also be added. Some say this gives you a darker dye, I can't say for sure, but I add it anyway!  This added concoction is called a "Witches Brew".  After the mixture has had time to "rest" it can then be applied to the skin using a cone or bottle in the same manner one would decorate a cake.


Summer Feet!  Some examples of quick
festival work.



At a festival last summer, a client requested this.  Her
husband calls her "Sweet P."!  Awww!

This was my neighbor in the booth next to me. 
Fantastic artist!!  By day he is a baker.  Due to
the thousands of pumpkin pies he makes each fall
the guys in his bakery call him the "Pumpkin King"!
I had to fit this in.  He already had a sleeve full of
impressive ink.

   I make my own henna paste.  I find that the quality of henna is much better than ready made paste.  I personally like to use the cellophane cone method.  I know others prefer a jac bottle.  Just preference. 
   The longer the paste is left on the skin, the darker the dye. It takes approximately 1/2 an hour to dry to the touch.  This means that while it's drying you have to sit still!!  This is a good thing.  Relax, enjoy the experience.  (A smudged henna design cannot easily be fixed, if at all!)  The dried paste may be misted with a sugar, water mixture to keep the "dying" process going.  The longer the wet paste is left on the skin, the darker the stain.  I tend to be impatient and just let it dry~I still get a nice, dark, long lasting stain!  I then spray it with a "fixative", (trade secret!  ...okay, it's Herbal Essence Spray Gel!!) once sprayed, I go to bed.  The paste will tend to flake off over night.  When it's dried, it can be scraped off. You can use a butter knife, credit card, fingernails work too!  The stain can last up to one month. Palms of hands and soles of feet stain the darkest as the skin is thickest here. The henna is staining your dead skin cells, so lose the loofah in the shower!  Henna is a natural sunscreen, so if your henna tattoo is exposed to the sun you will have a "Henna Tan". It's the gift that keeps on giving!