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Maybe My New Bedroom??
Well I have been trying to figure out the design of my
new bedroom. I find this to be somewhat to my liking. I love simple clean natural colors with texture. I really like having a bit of 40's glitz but not too flashy though. I love including things like pewter, glass, alabaster and antique nickel.

The only thing about this room I am not feeling are the night stands. I don't care for overly matched decor and the white color and design are not doing it for me. I think I would prefer a dark stained wood with only one drawer and open bottom to store beautiful textured throws and blankets which would help to give the room a warmer feel to it.

Also, the lamps are nice but the thick white base to quite do it for me either. Otherwise I love the round shades. I think what makes a room special are the unique elements added from your personal taste and that have been put together over a period of time. If not I think your final result will be an overly staged look. Lastly, I would have to add at least one other contrasting color to this room. I would add some elements of nature and some beautiful very light green and cream colored flowers and maybe even some other textured fabric in a very light butter cream yellow.

Coming Soon To Botany's Desire...

Where in the world is Ridgecrest, CA
This post is for all my customers, vendors and friends who do not live in Ridgecrest and are always asking me where in the world is Ridgecrest, CA. I though I would show you some pictures of some of the places I like that are in driving distance of Ridgecrest and China Lake.
These are images of Mammoth Lakes, June Lake loop and Dantes view in Death Valley, Inyo National Forrest with Mount Whitney and Bristle Cone are with the oldest known trees.
While these are not actual pictures of places in Ridgecrest. This will give you an idea about what the high desert area has to offer. The high desert area has very extreme weather conditions. It snows in Mammoth and the area can have fluctuations in tempertures from as low as the low 20's to 145 degrees in Death Valley.
images are from www.visitmammoth.com and Inyo National Forrest website.

Luxurious, Elegant & Simple...
I just love everything about luxurious bedding and linen. To me fine linen is the most important thing to have in my home other than fresh flowers and plants. I am more than willing to give up something else in order to afford the finest linen in my budget. As much time as we spend in bed, I think it is important not to go cheap in the bedroom. Even when I choose a hotel to stay while traveling I always check out the quality of the linen.

Some might think it not affordable to spend lots of money on linen, to me you only need 1-2 quality sets that should last you several years. Fine linen is not something you have to purchase every year. What I do every year is buy one to two pieces of individual items to use to mix and match. This allows me to not have to break my bank, but always have a wonderful selection of bedding to choose from. I also mix and match with different types of material. I use pure silk, belgium linen, bamboo and organic cotton. I also look for individual pieces of vintage and antique bedding to use as decorative accents. This really gives your bedding a very unique and luxurious look. Coming this fall I will be included a very beautiful line of organic bedding to our boutique selection. It will be very affordable so make sure to check back with me or stop by the Botany's Desire after Sept. 20th.

Bamboo Boudoir Pillows:
We just started getting these in last week
and they are selling like crazy. Our bamboo selection is growing. These are just like the silk boudoir pillows we sell except that they are made of bamboo. They are amazingly soft and comfortable and very durable.

If you travel frequently by plane or car you will want one of these. We presently have them in the cream color and will special order the other colors for you. On sale now for $25

Anti-Aging KIWI
Yes, I am serious. I have always been a huge fan of kiwis. I love just about everything about them. Well, not true. I HATE pealing kiwis. You would think mother nature would have made it a bit simpler and not so messy. Now, while I have always known that kiwis were a healthy fruit to consume on a regular basis, the scientific and nutrition research community have found some amazing nutritional information about kiwis, especially when it comes to their anti-aging properties.

Kiwi fruit extract does contain Vitamins C and E, Potassium, Folic Acid, and Chromium. It also contains essential fatty acids, which also makes it a good cosmetic application, improving skin radiance and reducing fine lines and dark circles, according to the KEVL company.
So make sure to these lovely fruits to your grocery list this week.

Here is a quick and easy antioxidant face mask using kiwis:
puree 1/2 kiwi
juice 1/2 lemon
3 Tbs. of plain yogurt
blend well
smooth over clean skin
leave on for 15 minutes
wash face with warm water
pat dry.

I shouldn't be feeling home sick already since I just got back from New York last month. But I am. One of the things I miss the most about living in New York is being able to window shop all the beautiful department stores and boutiques all over Manhattan. One of my favorites is a fabulous Japanese department store that is actually more boutique like then department store. It is called Takashimaya. They have some of the most unique, beautiful and luxurious products.

While most of their products are actually way out of my budget it does not hurt to look. Right? Even if I don't usually purchase much, it is a treat to walk through their doors. Now, just to let you know, Their decor is very minimalist. It is elegant and pretty but not your typical American boutique decor. They are more modern with clean lines.

Here is a description of their store. It is a direct quote:

"To visit Takashimaya New York is to enter a world apart. A unique commingling of Eastern and Western sensibilities inspires the rare and wonderful designs and artisan-made pieces culled from around the globe. Displaying the unusual sensitivity of the Japanese towards refined craftsmanship and beautiful packaging, and the modern appreciation for functional design, shopping online transcends the usual boundaries. At Takashimaya, the world is at your fingertips.

So if you get a chance to visit NYC anytime in the near future make sure you add them to your list of places to visit. While I was in NYC last month I had every intention on making a quick trip there . Well, I waited to the last minute and totally lost track of time and got there right when they were locking up the doors. I can't even begin to tell you how devistated I was. Well, that is not going to happen again. I will be going to NYC later this month and this is on the top of my priority list. Not sure how much shopping I will be doing there, but I know for sure I am having a facial spa treatment at their on-site spa and having some relaxing tea at their tea cafe.

Pictures above are from Takashimaya's website.

Oh My God!!! I have found a piece of heaven on earth.
Ok many of you know or maybe not. I love dessert more than anything. I mostly love French desserts (especially those created by the French West Indian countries) because I love the combination of fresh fruits, creams and light and crusty doughs used. Growing up my mother was always making tasty French and creole desserts and drinks mostly on the savory side though.

I actually love to bake unique sweet treats and used to do so on a regular basis years ago while studying natural gourmet cooking back east.

At the moment though I hate my kitchen so I refuse to create any culinary delights. In the mean time I search and seek my desserts when I travel and on oscassions will order desserts online. This beautiful treat pictured above is from the beautiful food blog called Cannelle et Vanille
http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/ If you are in need of some wonderful baking ideas or just enjoy looking at beautiful photographs of food like I do, do visit when you have a moment.

Indigenous Beauty Rituals....Available at Botany's Desire September 2008

If your confused by this posting it is probably because most of you do not know what I was doing before I opened Botany's Desire back in 2003. Before moving to Ridgecrest in 2003 I had spent over 15 years researching, studying and creating herbal health and beauty products using Indigenous herbs, flowers and oils from around the world. I actually had a huge following of customers all over the United States. I was also making custom orders for other boutiques and spas.

When I opened my boutique in Ridgecrest in 2003 I continued to also run my online custom beauty business, but after six months it just became too difficult to manufacture these products and also run a new business. So I decided to shut the online business and direct my energy towards growing my retail boutique. Well a couple of months ago while cleaning out my home office I came across all my old recipe books I had created all my unique formulations in. Just reading the recipes was an intoxicating experience. I can't believe I ever stopped.

I realized how much I have been missing purchasing all those yummie exotic ingredients such as pure organic rose oil straight from Bulgaria, fresh cut tuberose flower petals from Hawaii and pure vanilla beans from Madagascar. I miss all the happy customers I had who used to send me wonderful email telling me how much they just loved getting their packages from me with beautiful and organic perfumes and bath products I had created.

So, I guess at this point you realize that I am probably going to begin making my lovely creations again. I will not offer the hundreds of products I used to though. I will keep it down to about 10 products for now and see how it goes. I will update you when the first product is available. I have already created the new label for the line with the assistance of my dear artist friend Barbara Andolsek of http://www.barbaraandolsekfineart.com.

For updated information on the new launch please leave me your name and email address in the comments section.