A client I just had the pleasure of meeting again today seems to completely embody this concept. I only see her maybe once every six months – she has grown quite fond of one of my oil blends, purchases a few bottles at a time and then I don’t hear from her for awhile. Every time she approaches our rendez-vous spot a reocurrent thought pops into my head and I am compelled to say “Wow you look beautiful!” She just exudes joy, absolutely glows, and is obviously living in perfect attunement with her hearts desires. She radiates pure light that permeates the entire area surrounding her. It is really quite amazing to see. She loves to travel and pairs that with her love for jazz, and she and her husband tour all over the world together exploring new areas and listening to fabulous music – she says they’re off to Hawaii in a couple weeks. Now I don’t really know her besides these brief interludes, the usual friendly, courteous business exchange, but her presence is unmistakably powerful as is usually the case when someone is living with an open heart and being true to their souls desires. She has found the perfect recipe that makes her spirit soar and that cannot help but leave an impression on everyone around her. Ever feel like you don’t have the power to change what is not right with the world? Adjust your outlook. Alter your disposition. Listen to your heart and souls desire, align your spirit with what is true for you. Don’t question it if you feel it in your gut, in your heart. Have faith and don’t worry. Act from a place of integrity. Be a beam of light in your immediate world, and one by one, the bigger world will be embraced by light even in the darkness. Remember the ripple.

Breathe in….hmmmm….breathe out….ahhhhhhhh…

Just pass the threshold of this gorgeous, relatively new shop in Rolling Hills, and you will be subtly and sweetly struck with a multitude of heavenly aromas with every step you take.

While waiting for the kids to finish their pottery class the other day, my Mom and I decided to check out the shops on Deep Valley Drive as it had been a long time since we ventured to the top of the hill. Leisurely strolling around we happened upon a very enticing window that was entrancingly beckoning us, so we decided to accept the invitation. We were happily met by all sorts of colors and textures as well as aromas and lovely engaging displays – plenty of pick me up, feel me and smell me opportunities ranging from
all- vegetable, soy and beeswax candles, to beautifully crafted soaps (I have been enjoying my pumpkin loofah bar immensely – I am so wonderfully smooth now!), milk baths, essential oil blends, sugar scrubs, body splashes, green cleaners, and exquisite gift items from around the world.

Recently I had been searching online for a candle company that used all natural ingredients scented with pure essential oils, and I was unable to find one that possessed all the elements I was looking for, and voilà, here it was all along and practically in my own backyard! (Their Hermosa shop is actually even closer.) The very friendly owners Ken and Denise kindly welcomed us and gave us a bit of the background of this enthralling enterprise. Apparently Ken has been making candles now for over 26 years, and what started out as a passion that he shared with his wife Denise has evolved over time into the booming candle/natural body product business that they have created together. With two retail locations, an online store, and a warehouse/studio where they do all their formulating these alchemists certainly are busy, and the high quality goods they are producing are greatly appreciated by a loyal following of retail clients and wholesale customers alike. Having a wedding or special event? Need fabulous corporate gift ideas? Call them up and they will be more than happy to explore the options with you. Everything is all hand manufactured from the purest of raw ingredients, and they are very environmentally conscious as well.

So go check them out on the hill or at the beach, whichever place is closer for you, or online if your not local. But if you happen to be free tomorrow night go experience all this for yourself at:

An evening in South Africa – a wonderful wine tasting event happening
Friday, August 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. at their Rolling Hills location. I am going to try and make it – maybe we’ll meet you there!

The Out of My Tree
Rolling Hills shop is located at:
550 Deep Valley Drive, #114 (in the Promenade of the Peninsula)
Rolling Hills Estates, CA

The Out of My Tree
Hermosa shop is located at:
1134 Hermosa Ave.
Hermosa Beach, Ca 90254
(stop by and meet Herbal Jude!)

And their online store is at www.outofmytreecandlesandbath.com

Phone: 310.971.5126

Let’s all do this today.
Honor your spirit in all its magnificence. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Work your way past the self-judgement (and for some the relentless condemnation), and recognize that you are a supreme being on this earth and no matter where you have been or where you are going, you must take the time out to celebrate this moment in all your glory. Sing your own accolades, herald your own existence, appreciate your gifts and share them. There is no need for self-limiting beliefs, there is no need for fear. Have faith that you are unconditionally loved and cherished as an integral part of the intricate network of the very first world wide web, and devote some time to revel completely in the experience of being you. Sometimes we get starved for love, for attention, for understanding, for support, for companionship, all we really need to do is quiet ourselves and look within. There are universes within universes within all of us and all we need to do is open ourselves up to the possibilities whatever they are -some of which we could never even imagine. Open our hearts to the love that is within and all around and spread that love where ever we go. It is a chain reaction and completely palpable when set in motion.

Start with the physicality of it all. Champion your own Divine unique design and remember: “Shhh, your body can hear you – speak to it only in sonnets and sing to it only the sweetest of love songs…”
Express outward gratitude for the feet that hold you up and let you move throughout your day, remember all of the magical places they have taken you. And the legs that help lengthen the stride of your feet, and support your upper body. And your backside for giving you a soft cushion to sit upon. Enjoy the strength and structure of your back and your spine for keeping you erect and allowing you to twist and bend. Give thanks for your neck that enables you to see in many different directions while standing with the rest of your body in perfect alignment. And for your head that holds a mouth that can speak and sing and eat and drink, and BREATHE, a nose that can also breathe and smell heavenly and not so heavenly things. Eyes that can express love and all other emotions, and give you sight of the brilliance surrounding you. Ears to hear the blissful melodies of the everyday workings of the world, or beautiful voices and music. Shoulders that convey courage and fortitude. Arms and hands for expression and exemplifying grace, and for giving and receiving, and holding. Embrace all of the vessels and nerves and the skin that keeps us all together and acts as a protective shield. Now move into the skin and through all the vessels and viscera and make your way to the mind, and be grateful for all its never ending diligence throughout all of your days and nights, and invite it to take a rest once in awhile. Now address your soul, and ask what it wants, how it can best be served, listen for answers and give thanks for all of the lessons. Emerge from this revelry renewed with exalted appreciation and awareness that you have the power to create anything your soul desires, and that is exactly why you are here.

Around every corner and some of the straight aways in between, if you come to expect to be enchanted you most thoroughly will. “Perception is Reality” as was so emblazoned on the door to my kids’ sixth grade class last year, and truer words were never spoken. Opening oneself up to the pure delightment that can await behind every bend is just such a fun way to go through the day. Yesterday as I was having a morning coffee I looked out on the street and suddenly to my utter amazement and amusement came along this perfectly pink little butterfly strolling down the sidewalk. With pink fairy like wings, a pink leotard, tutu and slippers, pink cheeks peeking out from a shock of white blonde bangs with pig tails and the most adorable pink antennae you ever saw – to cute for words….Then a little later in the day, pulling up to a parking space at the bank there was this enormous tree out front, a kind I had never seen before, with clusters of radiant orange puffballs coming off the branches – completely exploding with these blooms, that it seemed to make the entire surrounding sky iridescent and surreal – stunning…

I used to be a bit prone to road rage – well maybe that statement’s a little extreme – let’s say instead, I used to get extremely frustrated on a regular basis with my fellow travelers out there, and would have no problem voicing within the confines of my own vehicle my distaste for there driving ability, or the appearance of an entire lack there of. I finally figured out that participating in this particular activity was not only detrimental to my blood pressure, but also a real drag to be around if you happened to be a passenger when I decided to let it all loose. I made a choice that it was high time I change my tactics, and I forced myself to start smiling and waving at people instead when I got those urges to vent – and after a short time – what a relief is all I can say- this just made all the difference in the world to me when I was driving, and now I find it fun to play games and see how many people will react happily back, and you know, most of them do, and then the whole experience of moving from here to there throughout the day, just becomes a huge pleasureful operation.

So those are just a couple of examples, but then I thought, well why just limit it to the street, why not expect to be completely charmed and colossally captivated all the time?

Okay, so maybe not always in a big, dramatically, public way – that could be somewhat annoying to those around you, but an inside job – completely doable. It’s kind of like expecting the best out of people for example. When you have that expectancy, in all likelihood that is what you will receive – I think 9 times out of 10 (not documented but an educated assumption) they will be overwhelmed to give you their absolute best at that very point in time, plus as mentioned previously, it is ALL your own perception.

A slight diversion…I have left you for awhile, and now am in the middle of watching the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. TALK ABOUT ENCHANTMENT! WOWWWW!!!

I have always enjoyed watching both summer and winter Olympics and especially adore the opening ceremonies because you get to see all of the beautiful people with all of their gorgeous faces from a great representation of the many beautiful countries in the world in all of their fabulous costumes – I know there is always more than meets the eye on this evening, political and otherwise, but the expressions on the many faces of the atheletes, whether they exhibit austere stoicism, jet lag and exhaustion, anxiousness, reserved national pride, humility, extreme joy and amazement, extreme fear, lightheartedness and a sense of global unity, or if it is completely unreadable… it is such a moving vision, the most extreme palpable example (even if it is an illusion – and isn’t it all anyway?) of global solidarity – you can’t help but be enchanted, and in awe, and it brings to me anyway a great feeling of hope for us all. I like this night. I Love THIS NIGHT!!! You enjoy it too – wherever you are…

Greetings and welcome to July Treatment Recipes!

Surely you have heard of Christmas in July, so what is wrong with July Treatment Recipes in August?

I had actually completed them on the 31st and put them up on their own page, I just forgot to mention it to you here in this space. So if you have been feeling completely weathered lately with all the heat this summer, you will certainly want to grab a dish pan and mix up some of our Cooling Dead Sea Soak – it definitely will help chill you out!

Click here to start mixing!