Hubby is always asking- ha ha, yeah right! What I want for birthday/Christmas, well that’s twice a year at least. Although in fairness, he has excelled himself this year, with a little help from my tippety tappity fingers on the keyboard & the little piece of plastic that we share.

My Valentine’s blog featured a gorgeous necklace amongst all the other wonderful pieces, well that necklace is now mine!

I know this is about my birthday but thought Hubby should be praised anyway onto the main subject. I have been following a website & blog for a little while now & have been ooohhing & ahhhing over their products & trying to decide what hubby can treat me to next. Then a few weeks ago a newsletter landed in my inbox with new products & offers, well how is a girl to refuse the offer of a hand crafted handbag?? Well you just cannot pass up the offer can you, well I didn’t. It took me a while to decide on the design & colour & it arrived at the beginning of the week., to say I am thrilled is an understatement.

It is made from silk, hand crafted by a husband & wife team in a remote village in Thailand. The website is www.thaisilkmagic.com & the customer service is excellent, so friendly, professional & gorgeous products too. It took a week to arrive, all the way from Thailand!!! Royal Mail take note, it takes you that long to deliver in the UK at times.

The bag is so light, you hardly know you have it on your shoulder, okay I haven’t yet filled it with the usual house brick but it is so light & soft & the quality is fantastic. Here is the inside, well yes, I know you can distinguish the outside from the inside but once my fingers start tapping away, there is no stopping them.

Not only that it came in a gift box

You know when photographs just don’t do justice to something, well mine just don’t convey the quality of the silk, the craftmanship that has been used to produce this bag. It would not be out of place on the shelves of shops such as Harrods & other highly priced  B&M shops. Was it expensive? No the prices are unbelievable for the quality & delivery from across the globe too.

Please do visit their website & not only browse their beautiful items but read about who they are & what they are doing & why. You will not be disappointed with any purchase you make from these lovely people & you can be sure they will look after you & your purchase has been hand made with love for you.

Well off to pack up my birthday present back into its box until my birthday – it may get a test drive before though

L'Amour love is in the air

Treat your loved one to an evening of relaxation & pampering. Re-ignite the romance & passion in your relationship. A candle lit bath – for 1 (or 2) Spa Bath Treats,or soothing salts or even add a little fizz – cocoa butter enriched bath sherbet. Complete the pampering with a slow sensual massage. Items can be purchased at www.scentsiblesolutions.co.uk

A fabulous compliment to the L’Amour range is this deliciously scented 3 wick candle. Available in Strawberry aroma, perfect for a romantic evening. Extinguish the lights & relax with the flickering flames & gorgeous aroma.

Compliment your gift with a I Love You hand made card.

Pink heart pin cushion & scissor keeper from Talking Beads. Romantic & practical, you will be in their thoughts whenever they use this beautiful gift.

Visit Talking Beads at Folksy for more details.

Treat the man in your life to these wonderful cuff links fun & quirky for the DIY enthusiast or these colourful

Tic Tacs for your sweetie.

You’ll find lots more to choose from at Just K Jewellery

How utterly gorgeous is the necklace? It’s available to buy from Shoogly Beads & they are offering free P&P too!

If earrings are your loved ones favourite jewellery item, these are gorgeous & perfect for Valentines or just to say I Love You.

Stand out from the crowd & go for these Gold & Green hearts or if you prefer to be traditional these Red & Silver earrings Available from Scottish Princess

Wishing you a your loved one a very special Valentine’s Day

The following day dawned, dryish, brightish & hot hot hot – oh yes, this is the weather I was looking for – almost! We took the Metro into the city of Washington DC & visited the Air & Space museum – part of the fantastic Smithsonian complex – its huge! Then after wandering around the air conditioned building we braved the walk to the Whitehouse – unfortunately we picked a day The President was not in residence, so no offers of a cup of tea were offered – next time Mr Obama?

DC is a beautiful city & hot – so good to feel the sun on your skin. The Whitehouse, is not as big as we had imagined it to be, mind you a duster & vacuum cleaner in hand & it would seem HUGE. It is unbelievable that you can actually walk up to the building & touch it – how cool is that? There are plenty of visible security men around with terrifyingly big weapons in hand – no pun intended. I didn’t think we would even get into the grounds never mind walk almost completely around this beautiful building – the outside that is.

We then strolled away from this iconic building, to the Washington Memorial & from there the mesmorising view of the Jefferson Memorial, which I am told the waters in front appear in the Planet of the Apes film.

We drove by Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 240.00 service personnel & dependants are buried, the endless rows of white crosses, really does make you reflect up on how many lives have been lost in conflicts around the world. Next was the Pentagon – quite a drab building as you drive by but nonetheless another iconic building we have now seen.

We left DC & headed south, driving through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, seeing lots of beautiful countryside & eventually into South Carolina – at last we had arrived only to be met as we crossed the State line by the darkest most powerful thunderstorm we had ever witnessed, not the weather I had planned, ordered & had confirmed to me that we would enjoy!!!!

Talk about little & large – he obviously didn’t want to leave his toy at home!

After 3 fantastic weeks, we headed home, landing at Heathrow to be met by our wonderful British weather, grey, dull, overcast, cold – a good 30 degrees cooler than the USA but we were almost home. The following few months were extremely hectic but thoroughly enjoyable.

Tweaks to the website – a new look is emerging, some product labels are being re-designed & some new products have emerged, Massage Candles, Cocoa Butter Bath Melts, Soy wax melts – it’s been so busy there wasn’t even time to photograph them, they were made, packed & shipped. A few more products are emerging – those are still in a file marked ‘Top Secret’ – well it pays to add a touch of mystery & wonder doesn’t it?

Christmas has been a lovely break, to wind down, spend time with family & catch up on some things on the ‘to do’ list which grows ever longer. It’s now a couple of days until we return to normality & works begins again at Scents-ible HQ.

Wishing you all good health & many happy times in 2011. I hope you make many wonderful memories – remember they are ‘The Treasures of the Mind’

I met Jude about 2 years ago online when I decided to take the plunge & join a few social networking sites to gain knowledge & contacts for my business. We met on a fabulously friendly & informative site called Webmums. At that time Jude was running an online cosmetics business & we collaborated on a range of health & beauty products. This venture helped to seal a wonderful friendship which still continues although Jude has now left the cosmetic business as she has re-discovered her love of art & her artistic talent flourishes.

Jude & her family re-located to the countryside & her surroundings are certainly one of her biggest inspirations. Jude decided to enrol onto a course run by a local college to learn the techniques of oil painting & from this decision a whole new world has opened up before her, one she never imagined would. The course helped to re-ignite her passion for art, aided by the encouraging comments & sales of  her first dabbles in the world of oil painting.

To say that Jude was ‘bowled over’ by the continuous praise & encouragement from many online & personal friends & family is no exaggeration & was in what can only be described as ‘a state of shock’ (she was the only one that was) when she was first asked if she would sell one of her new creations. She was truly overwhelmed & still is when a piece sells & an even greater surprise came (only to Jude again) when she was commissioned to create a piece. She still cannot come to terms with calling herself an artist but that is what she is & I am proud to call ‘Jude the artist’ my friend & this is why I want to share her artwork with you all.

Red Sunset

Purple Sunrise

Serenely Blue

I See You

A few examples of the wonderful artistic talent of Jude.  Pop along to www.artbyjude.co.uk to view more fabulous pieces which are for sale, pieces she has sold & to read her blog .

I have spent many many hours online & usually the best websites & products I have found quite by accident, which makes these finds all the better.

The majority of my sales are from online sources & it is really a lovely feeling when a sale pops into your inbox, no matter how large or small order, it brightens my day.

I’,m not against a bit of retail therapy in High Street shops but do not always have the time nor inclination to drive to the shops, find a parking slot & gasp in horror at the latest hike in parking charges, only then to wander aimlessly around looking at the ‘same old thing’ time & time again.

When looking for gifts for friends & family, I’m looking for something, quirky, well made & items that capture my imagination & that don’t adorn practically shop in one form or another.

I have recently joined some fabulous online sites which promote handmade items. I will be sharing these with you over the coming weeks (you can find the links if you can’t wait on the right). I’ll explain why I like them & introduce you to some of the fabulous products & the crafters themselves.

I will be supporting my fellow crafters & purchasing gifts for friends & family (NO…. friends & family you won’t get a sneak peek, I will only be posting after you have received them!) & of course I’ll be treating myself.

Natural Health & Wellbeing

Nature provides us with an abundance of plants with wonderful healing properties. Our health & wellbeing range offers ‘ready to use’ & individual items for you to create your own lotions & potions.

Moody Moments Body Oil

Unbalanced emotions which happen on a monthly basis & annoying stomach cramps may be calmed & soothed.

Peaceful Nights Roller Ball

Tame those night time grunts & enjoy a peaceful nights sleep as your partner sleep quietly.

Essential oils, carrier oils & natural butters for you to create your own lotions & potions.

Bathtub Bliss

Turn your bathtub into a relaxing home spa with our collection of bubble, milks, oils & fizzes.

Relax & enjoy a dip in your tub, then choose from our hair care range, body washes & soaps to smell gorgeous from top to toe!

Skin Care

Cleansers, toners, moisturising creams, latte’s & serums designed to care for your skin & enhance your natural beauty.

Gardener’s are cared for with our ‘Green Fingers’ collection, Guys are looked after with their own bath, body & skin care range. Expectant mums, bouncing babies & new mums are nurtured & loved with our softest & gentlest ranges.

Astromas is our unique collection of bath, body & skin care products based upon each of the signs of the Zodiac, designed to ‘Promote the positive aspect of your astrological personality & alleviate any negativity’ Ideal gifts, when ideas allude you.

Aromatic fizzy fun with Astromas Bath Sherbet

Introductions – I’m Helen, Aromatherapist, founder & owner of Scents-ible Solutions UK. Why UK? Well…. Scents-ible Solutions was originally founded in the USA by my Stepmom Jackie. I became involved when Jackie, invited me to attend the ‘Spirit of Caring’ annual awards in South Carolina where her ‘Aromatherapy for Alzheimer’s’ programme won an award.

I have always had a slight interest in aromatherapy but I had never realised how these natural plant oils – ‘essential oils’ could enhance/change a persons quality of life or health.  During the awards the stories of how this programme had impacted upon the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s, this included those now living in residential nursing facilities, those in their own homes & the wonderful carers, really opened my eyes to the potential & good that aromatherapy can acheive.

These awards, listening to & learning from Jackie the uses & effects of the oils really sparked my interest, which I know will stay with me for life.

That is how my love of Aromatherapy began. After returning from South Carolina with a copy of ‘Aromatherapy for Dummies’ my interest grew, I enrolled onto a course & became a qualified Aromatherapist. I do enjoy being an aromatherapy masseuse but it is the creation of products that is my first love & knowing that customers enjoy my creations & when the help either during pampering or for health, this really is the icing on the cake & makes what I do feel worthwhile.

So that’s how my company began. None of this would have been possible without support & help (with the odd grumble – well more than the odd one ;-D ) from my husband. I have 2 sons & as I have worked from home building my company, it has also allowed me to spend precious time with the 3 people who mean the most to me. A 9 to 5 job although would have given me more money to enjoy would not have given me the time with my family as they grew up which I will be forever thankful for.

So why have I decided to create this blog? Promotion for my business – yes of course! but more than that. During the past 2 years when I began to build my online presence, I surfed, found & joined many networking websites & I have met many lovely people, some in business, others not. Some of these people I now count as friends & they too have businesses which they are dedicated to & offer wonderful hand crafted or ethically sourced products for you to enjoy or for wonderful gifts for friends & loved ones.

I hope you will follow my blog, not only to find out what I am up to, new items, news & information on Aromatherapy & natural health remedies for you & your family but also to allow me to introduce to you many fabulous businesses that you may not otherwise have found & of course the lovely friendly people behind them.

Thank you for taking time to read my first post.

Helen x